By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 32-year-old man who was found with $26,000 worth of marijuana and cocaine was yesterday sentenced to nine months in prison.
Christopher Cartwright was charged with two counts of possession of dangerous drugs with the intent to supply after officers seized nine pounds of Indian hemp along with a pound of cocaine from him when they raided his residence on April 21.
According to the prosecution, the marijuana was worth $13,500 while the cocaine had a street value of $12,500.
Police said that on the same day, 10 unfired rounds of .9mm ammunition and another round of .45 ammunition were also found at Cartwright’s residence.
Prosecutors said a team of officers, along with a dog from the K-9 unit had gone to Cartwright’s apartment complex. Upon entering the residence, the officers deployed the police dog who gave indications to a lower cabinet in the kitchen where three black plastic wraps that all contained a quantity of marijuana were found.
The court was told that the service dog then proceeded to a bedroom where he made indications to a closet. There, officers found another black plastic wrap with marijuana as well as a plastic bag containing a quantity of cocaine that was stashed in a tan coloured jacket.
The dog then made indications underneath the bed of another room where the officers found a pair of Nike sneakers that contained $1,500 cash in one foot, and a bag with another quantity of cocaine in the other foot. A further search of a drawer in the bedroom also led to the discovery of another plastic bag filled with cocaine.
Thereafter, the police dog proceeded to the bathroom where another plastic wrap with marijuana and two plastic bags filled with several foil wraps were discovered.
During their investigation, officers also found a small black box with 10 live rounds of .9mm ammunition as well as one unfired round of .45mm ammunition on top of the accused’s kitchen cabinets. When Cartwright was arrested and interviewed, he took ownership of the drugs, but declined to comment on the ammunition that was found in his home.
When the accused appeared before the Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson last Friday, he admitted the offences while his co-accused, Antiqueker Astwood, denied the allegations. However, at the time, the magistrate said she would adjourn the matter to consider her position properly before proceeding any further with the case.
When the pair returned to court yesterday, Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt accepted Cartwright’s guilty plea and sentenced him to nine months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Cartwright was also given $7,000 worth of fines for the offences.
If he fails to pay them, he could risk spending an additional 12 months behind bars.
The prosecution said that as Cartwright was forthright in admitting his guilt, they would withdraw the charges brought against Astwood. She was subsequently discharged.
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