A St James man, who was charged along with a woman for attempting to smuggle cocaine through a courier service company in the parish, was on Tuesday fined $300,000 and given a suspended sentence.

Omario Brown, 27, pleaded guilty to possession of, dealing in and attempting to export cocaine, while Natasha James pleaded not guilty. No evidence was offered against her.

Prosecutors told the court that sometime in 2020, James went to a courier service and attempted to ship a package overseas that contained six jars with 5.42 ounces of cocaine.

She was subsequently arrested, and when questioned by the police, she stated that Brown was the one who gave her the package to ship, resulting in his arrest as well.

In mitigation, Brown’s lawyer Martyn Thomas told presiding judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley that his client was a JUTA driver employed by a specific hotel at the time and that a foreign national, who was also working with the hotel, had asked him for his assistance in using a courier service to send a package overseas.

“Mr Brown knew what the assignment was about, what the package contained, and quite foolishly agreed to assist in this venture for a small fee,” Thomas explained.

Thomas went on to say that Brown engaged James to assist him to send off the package. He completed the airway bills, that the money was received from the foreign national, and that he paid James to send off the package.

“From my instructions, Miss James was not aware of what was in the package; she was only doing my client a favour,” Thomas said.

The attorney stated that his client was remorseful and had never previously been on the police radar, but that there had been a spike in that type of activity during the COVID-19 period and that his client was one of those who got entangled in such activities.

Thomas also asked that his client not be imprisoned and that he be granted leniency.

In passing sentence, Smith-Ashley told Brown that his actions had harmed his reputation, but that there were mitigating factors that she would consider.

Brown was fined $100,000 or six months in jail for cocaine possession, and $200,000 or six months in jail for attempting to export the drug. He was also sentenced to a mandatory one-year prison term, suspended for two years.

On the charge of dealing in cocaine, he was admonished and discharged.