Electrician fined $45,000 for marijuana possession

A marijuana farmer will have to pay a $45,000 fine or face three years in prison.{{more}}

Kimron Thomas, a 26-year old Electrician from Paul’s Avenue, was ordered to pay the fine after pleading guilty to one count of cultivation of 20 mature cannabis plants and one count of possession of 42,222 grams (93lbs) of marijuana, with intent to supply, at the Serious Offences Court on Monday, 23 March, 2009.

A second defendant, Mongino Raguette, pleaded not guilty to the charge of cultivation and was granted bail of $1,000 with one surety. His case was transferred to Kingstown Magistrates’ Court for hearing on 08 September, 2009. The second charge of possession was withdrawn.

The drugs valued at $45,000 were seized on Saturday, 21 March, after police officers on foot patrol duty in La Soufriere mountains found Thomas and Raguette allegedly attending to a marijuana plantation.

A house on the plantation was also searched and 3 plastic buckets and 5 black garbage bags containing marijuana were recovered.

While Chief Magistrate Sonya Young said she didn’t want to send Thomas to jail, she said she must consider the defendant’s past criminal record when entering a judgment in this case.

The defendant previously appeared before the Serious Offences court on 2 similar charges, one of which involved 3 rocks of cocaine.

On the charge of possession of 93lbs of marijuana, with intent to supply, Thomas was ordered to pay $3,000 forthwith, with the remainder of $42,000 to be paid in 5 months, if he wants to avoid 3 years in jail. On the charge of cultivating 20 mature cannabis plants, he was told to pay $600 in one month or face 3 months in jail.

Both sentences are to run concurrently. (SC)