Today, Magistrate Hettie-Mae Stuart handed down a stiff fine to Orvin Ferguson. Ferguson, 25, along with Sherman Rodney, 21; Eric Gilharry, 25; Tracey Ford, 20, Ferguson’s common-law wife, were all charged with drug trafficking.
This morning, at about 9:00, some police officers executed a search at #4 Gentle Avenue in Belize City. All four defendants were present at the house and when asked if they had anything to declare, Ferguson retrieved two black plastic bags containing cannabis from a pants hanging against the wall in the house.
The drugs were shown to all four defendants. They were then taken to the Queen Street Police Station, where the drugs were weighed and the cannabis amounted to 171 grams. As a result, they were arrested and charged.
Rodney, Gilharry and Ford all pleaded not guilty, while Ferguson pleaded guilty with an explanation. The magistrate accepted all the pleas, then Ferguson proceeded to explain that he is the sole bread winner for his family and that he has to buy milk, pampers and formula for his young baby.
He also vowed to pay something to the court every week if the magistrate would just give him a chance.
The magistrate heard his mitigation and imposed a fine of $10,000, the minimum fine under law, plus five dollars cost of court to be paid by March 30, 2012; in default, Ferguson would spend three years in jail.
However, Ferguson had a previous conviction for drug possession where a fine was imposed; it was discovered that he was to have paid that fine by April 2002, but had not paid anything towards it, so he was sent to prison.
The other three defendants were each offered bail of $4,000 plus two sureties. They are to appear back in court tomorrow, Feb. 9, 2012.