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The Jamaica Constabulary Force confirmed today that Trinidad and Tobago national and burgeoning sport official Shem Alexander is in its custody and awaiting extradition to the United States, in a development which has shocked the local football fraternity.
The 35-year-old Alexander, who has a major in organisation communications and a minor in psychology from the Palm Beach Atlantic University, is the MIC-IT sports and mentorship coordinator and director of Gateway Athletics football club.
He is also a patron of TTPFL Tier One club Central FC, head coach of Tier Two team MIC Matura ReUnited and head coach of the Hillview College Under-14 team.
Gateway Athletic has run the last three editions of the Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL).
In June, Alexander also launched the International Institute of Sports and Management Studies (IISMS) alongside fellow director Gary St Rose, who is a TTFA safeguarding manager.
The IISMS stated its goal as creating opportunities “for the future of sports management and coaching”. In its maiden act, the fledgling company presented certificates to then Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Angus Eve and his assistant Derek King, who it described as “two of our first cohort graduates”.
Photo: 12 Media Productions
Beyond his multiple sporting roles, United States law officials believe that Alexander was also involved in firearm trafficking into the North American country.
Jamaican Senior Superintendent of Police Stephanie Lindsay confirmed that Alexander has been in their custody for the past two weeks.
Alexander is believed to have visited Jamaica to meet his girlfriend, who is studying there.
“He was taken in on the 15th November, based on an extradition request from the USA,” Lindsay told Wired868. “He has waived his rights to a hearing and opted to be extradited [to face] allegations of firearm trafficking and smuggling offenses in the USA.”
Photo: 12 Media Productions
Gateway Athletics became the first organisation aligned to Alexander to make a statement on his arrest, which was attributed to the Gateway Athletics Public Relations Team.
Gateway Athletics Statement:
Mr Alexander has taken a voluntary leave of absence as the managing director at Gateway Athletics, in order to focus on treating the allegations before him.
Mr Alexander has maintained his innocence in all of the allegations levelled against him and is eager to fully ventilate the issue in the right forum, when the time is appropriate.
Photo: MIC Matura ReUnited
The same natural justice that applies to all also applies to Mr Alexander—that is, the presumption of innocence until otherwise proven.
There is no further information we can give at this time, but we will update as necessary as information becomes available.
Editor’s Note: TTFA president Kieron Edwards is not a director at Central FC, having resigned the post before the football election. As such, there is no overlap between his formal involvement with the club and Shem Alexander’s.
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