BELIZE CITY, Mon. June 17, 2019– Michael Rodney Hulse, 31, an auto mechanic of 262 Sundial Avenue, was arraigned on 2 counts of drug trafficking when he appeared on Friday, June 14, before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. The charges were for 5.6 grams of cocaine and 52 tablets of methamphetamine.
Hulse pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail of $5,000; his case was adjourned until August 13.
The day before, which was Thursday, June 13, when Hulse was brought to court before Magistrate Ford, he was not arraigned because his attorney, Audrey Matura, drew to the court’s attention that there was a defect with the information and complaint.
As a result, Hulse, who had a brace around his neck and could barely sit or stand up, was released into Matura’s custody, and his arraignment was adjourned until Friday, June 14. Matura said that she was instructed by her client that his injuries were the result of a beating administered to him by members of the Gang Suppression Unit.
According to the summary of facts that was provided by the police, Members of the GSU and the K9 Unit conducted a house search at Hulse’s residence about 5:27 a.m. on June 11. The police said that the police dog, Bosco, indicated that there was something illegal on the television stand and Constable Shaheed Mai found two transparent Ziploc plastic bags on the stand.
One bag, reported the police, contained a white powdery substance that they suspected was cocaine, while the other bag contained several yellow and green tablets that they suspected was methamphetamine.
Consequently, Hulse was arrested and charged. Police further reported that the white powdery substance, when weighed, amounted to 5.6 grams and after police counted the tablets, they found that there were 52 of them.
There was no mention by police of how Hulse sustained his injuries.