Man held at airport with cocaine gets 18 months
KINGSTON, Jamaica – A man was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment and fined half a million dollars after pleading guilty to cocaine-related charges Wednesday.
The accused, Richardo Gooden, was sentenced in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court after he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine and importing cocaine, but not guilty to conspiring to import cocaine.
Gooden was stopped an searched after arriving in the island on a flight from Curacao.
He was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where he expelled 64 pellets of cocaine, which weighed two pounds one ounce.
“Any reason why you shouldn’t go to jail?” Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey asked.
“I was trying to help my family,” he replied.
He was subsequently fined J$150,000 or six months for possession of cocaine, J$200,000 or six months for dealing in cocaine, J$150,000 and 18 months for importing cocaine.
No evidence was ordered on the conspiracy charge.
Racquel Porter
