5 remanded; 6th person, who is hypertensive, was hospitalized as a consequence of the bust and could not be arraigned in court today
The Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) searched a house on Far West Street on Sunday and found two .9mm rounds and a small quantity of marijuana. But the homeowner, a nurse’s aide, had to be hospitalized, because her blood pressure went dangerously high because of the bust, and she was unable to be arraigned in court on Monday.
Bernadette Samuels, 48, is expected to be arraigned as soon as she is well enough to appear in court, her attorney Bryan Neal told the court.
The five other persons who were present when police made the bust pleaded not guilty to the ammunition and possession of controlled drug charges when they appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer, who said, before remanding them to prison, “I can’t offer unno bail! That means that all a unno gwine da jail.”
Frazer, before remanding the five persons to prison, observed that: “Nobody had deemed it fit that they are punishing people before they are found guilty, but my hands are tied.”
“I will make an order for the student to go to Youth Hostel, as opposed to Central Prison,” the Senior Magistrate then said.
She was referring to a seventeen-year-old minor, who is a student at Wesley College.
But another student who was caught up in the GSU bust, Godwin Neal Jr., 18, who attends Nazarene High School, did not fare so well, because of his age.
Neal was remanded to prison along with Rheonna Rivero, 18, a cashier in the Tourism Village and a resident of Biscayne, Belize District; Nicoli Rhys, 23, an unemployed resident of 119 George Street; and Shane McFoy, 27, an unemployed resident of 71 Euphrates Avenue.
They were remanded to prison until their next court date on May 29.
In addition to the ammunition charge, the five were charged with possession of 1.2 grams of marijuana.
Rivero, however, was charged for possession of 54.4 grams of marijuana. She pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Yesterday, Sunday, April 13, GSU police officers visited 19 Far West Street, where they found Bernadette Samuels, the homeowner; McFoy; Neal Jr.; Rhys; and the 17-year-old minor at the house.
The GSU unit executed a search warrant and inside a room of the house, they found the two brass-colored Lugar brand .9 mm ammunition inside the compartment of a fan.
The GSU also reportedly found a small quantity of marijuana, 1.2 grams, near a stove in the kitchen, and 4.4 grams of cannabis in the hallway of the house, for which they have charged Bernadette Samuels.
Rivero, the only female who was not at the house at the time, was picked up and charged after one of the men indicated to police that she was also living at the home.