Charges were reinstated against Peter Schmidt, 39, for 5 kilos of cocaine

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Feb. 21, 2019– Three charges (one of them drug trafficking for 5 kilograms of cocaine) that had been brought against Peter Schmidt, 39, and Carlos Lopez, 35, but had been struck out, were yesterday reinstated against Schmidt, who appeared before Magistrate Emerson Banner.

Lopez, the second accused, has not yet been rearrested.

The other charges that were reinstated against Schmidt were for keeping a firearm without a gun license and keeping ammunition without a gun license.

Schmidt pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was released on a bail of $5,000 and his case was adjourned until April 29.

The charges arose from an incident that occurred on December 17, 2017. The police, in what they called a sophisticated operation, intercepted an SUV on Piper Street in Buttonwood Bay and reported that when they searched the vehicle, they found a knapsack on the back seat that contained 5 kilograms of cocaine.

Police also reported that they found a 9-millimeter pistol with 11 rounds of ammunition under the back seat. As a result, Schmidt and Lopez, who were the occupants of the vehicle, were arrested and charged.

 The case was struck out by Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford on August 27, 2018, when it was set for final hearing and the arresting officer failed to appear.

Ellis Arnold, the attorney who represented Schmidt and Lopez, made a submission that his clients had no case to answer to, and Senior Magistrate Ford upheld it and struck out the case.

Schmidt, a businessman who resides in Caye Caulker, handed himself over to police when he found out that there was a warrant for his re-arrest.