Bogue Heights cosmetologist jailed

Saturday, November 21, 2009 8:15 AM

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Western News

BY PAUL A REID Observer West writer

Thursday, November 05, 2009

MONTEGO BAY, St James- A 30-year-old Bogue Heights cosmetologist, who often travelled to other islands in the Caribbean to earn money as a go-go dancer, was on Tuesday sentenced to four months in prison after pleading guilty to trying to smuggle over 7lbs of ganja to Curacao.

Charlotte Sinclair, a single mother of four children ranging from ages four to 14 years old, was caught with 1.25lbs of ganja parcelled and wrapped in masking tape and plastic in her suitcase as she was being processed for a flight to Curacao on October 31 at the Sangster International Airport.

Attorney at law Adrian Dayes, who represented Sinclair, told the court she was aware of what she was transporting but was doing a favour for a couple she had befriended, who told her it was for medicinal purposes.

He said Sinclair was not aware of the weight, but was taking it to the couple who would use it for their glaucoma treatment.

The court heard that the woman l frequently to the smaller islands for the past seven years where she would work in "exotic entertainment" as well as other jobs that she could get, and was "desperately trying to put things together and seek other forms of employment".

She was fined $10,000 or 30 days at hard labour for possession of ganja; $20,000 or 30 days at hard labour for dealing in ganja and $50,000 or two months at hard labour for taking steps to export ganja.

Additionally, she was sentenced to a mandatory term of four months at hard labour to run concurrently with the attempting to export fine.