Anthony Carballo Jr. Weighs Guilty Plea in Sylvian Swift Murder Case

Anthony Carballo Junior has until October 23 to decide whether to plead guilty to the murder of twenty-year-old Sylvian Nigel Swift. In the High Court today, Justice Nigel Pilgrim told Carballo that, if he enters a guilty plea, the maximum sentence would be life imprisonment, with eligibility for parole after serving twenty years. Parole eligibility does not mean automatic release. Carballo and Christopher Pitts Junior are jointly charged with Swift’s murder, which occurred on April 27, 2023, in Belize City. Swift was reportedly just a few feet from his home when two men on a motorcycle opened fire, fatally injuring him.  Carballo, represented by attorney Nazira Myles-Espat, requested a Maximum Sentencing Indication during a case management conference on September 29. The process allows him to know the maximum sentence he would face if he chooses to plead guilty before deciding how to proceed.  Before delivering the indication, Justice Pilgrim considered the circumstances outlined in the agreed evidence, the sentencing framework for murder, and the aggravating and mitigating factors. Today’s indication is not a sentence, and Carballo has yet to tell the court whether he will accept it and enter a guilty plea. Meanwhile, Pitts maintains his not-guilty plea and is expected to face trial before a judge without a jury. Both men were initially charged in May 2023 and were jointly indicted in the High Court in 2025