The American businessman whose $1.4 million fine for bringing 14 guns and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition into The Bahamas sparked outrage over privilege in the justice system, has a history of similar legal troubles in the United States.
What happened
James Finkl, owner of the security company Shadow 300 LLC, was at the center of a Chicago controversy in 2010 when police seized 36 firearms, including four assault rifles, from his River North mansion.
According to a 2013 Chicago Sun-Times report, Finkl—then a business partner of a Chicago Police lieutenant—faced 36 counts of unlawful use of a weapon and 36 counts of possessing unregistered firearms. But prosecutors later dropped the charges after determining he had legally purchased the guns with a firearm owner’s identification card.
Still, police maintained that he violated city ordinances, and a Cook County judge ordered his arrest after Finkl repeatedly failed to appear in court. The judge remarked that Finkl was “obviously avoiding” being served.
At the time, his family owned a major steel company and were known political donors who hosted fundraisers for state officials at their plant.
Why it matters
Finkl’s history of avoiding jail time for firearm-related offences has reignited debate in The Bahamas about whether wealth and influence can tilt the scales of justice.
Earlier this month, he was fined instead of imprisoned after pleading guilty to importing 14 guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition aboard his yacht in Bimini—despite the country’s tough firearm laws.
The bigger picture
Director of Public Prosecutions Cordell Frazier defended the outcome, saying sentencing is guided by each case’s circumstances.
“Sentencing is an art. There is no one fixed rule for every case,” Frazier told The Tribune.
She added that Finkl’s medical condition made a custodial sentence “difficult and not prudent,” insisting that the case “was never about Bahamian or non-Bahamian, or rich or poor.”
Still, critics argue the ruling highlights an uncomfortable pattern—where those with means continue to navigate the justice system with outcomes ordinary citizens rarely see.