By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 54-year-old man who was last week found with over $3m worth of marijuana after he led police on a high-speed chase was yesterday sentenced to three years behind bars.
Police arrested Theodore Ferguson after they recovered 3,053 pounds of Indian hemp from a bus he was driving on September 30.
The court was told that around 3.30 that morning, police acting on information went to Bacardi Road where they saw a bus driving with no headlights. The prosecution said when they beckoned for the driver of the vehicle to stop by using fog horns and sirens, the man, who was later identified as Ferguson, took off at a high rate of speed.
A chase followed and the bus eventually came to a stop near Boatswain Hill. Officers discovered a large quantity of drugs when they searched the vehicle. Ferguson was arrested. During his interview with police, he admitted being the person who was driving the bus who attempted to elude police. According to the prosecution, the marijuana has a street value of $3,053,000.
After Ferguson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess dangerous drugs with the intent to supply, he was sentenced to three years behind bars and fined $10,000. Magistrate Rolle Davis said if he failed to pay the fine, he could risk spending an additional six months in prison.
In a separate case, a fisherman who was found with over four pounds of marijuana was yesterday fined $8,000.
Leroy Bethel, 28, of Gregory Town, Eleuthera, was arrested after he was found with $4,500 worth of Indian hemp on September 29.
When he appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis yesterday, he pleaded guilty.
He was arraigned with a woman. However, the charges brought against her were dropped after Bethel pleaded guilty to possessing the marijuana with the intent to supply.
The prosecution said on the day in question, officers on mobile patrol in Gregory Town observed a black Nissan vehicle parked in a way that obstructed traffic. The court was told when they attempted to approach the vehicle, Bethel, who was driving, drove off prompting the officers to pursue him. When the vehicle came to a stop after crashing, Bethel got out of the car with a bag in his hand. When officers examined the bag, they found a quantity of marijuana in it. Bethel was then taken to the Governor’s Harbour Police Station, where he denied the offence.
Yesterday, Bethel was represented by attorney Ian Cargill. He told the magistrate his client pleaded guilty at his earliest opportunity because he did not want to waste the court’s time. He also noted that the amount of drugs the accused was found with was relatively small.
After listening to his plea in mitigation, Magistrate Rolle Davis accepted Bethel’s guilty plea and fined him $8,000 or two years in prison.
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