Police corporal convicted on cocaine charges in Manchester
MANCHESTER, Jamaica — A police corporal was found guilty of cocaine charges in the Manchester Parish Court on Thursday.
Corporal Jermaine Powell was convicted before Parish Court Judge John Thyme and will be sentenced on December 13, 2023. The matter had been before the court for more than four years.
Powell was before the court on charges of possession, dealing, trafficking and cocaine as well as possession of criminal property and conspiracy.
Allegations are that around 4:20 pm on Friday, November 9, 2018, detectives from the Area 3 Narcotics Division, assisted by personnel from the Porus Police Station, conducted an anti-narcotics operation along the Porus main road in Manchester.
It was reported that a white Toyota Probox motorcar, driven by Corporal Powell, was signalled to stop, and he complied.
During a search of the vehicle, cocaine weighing two pounds and 3.25oz, along with J$1,250,000, were found concealed between the spare wheel and the body of the vehicle.
Powell was subsequently arrested and charged with breaches of the Dangerous Drugs Act. After months of trial, Powell was found guilty of all the charges.
