Former special constable Jermain Bristol was yesterday sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment on a charge of conspiracy to traffic cocaine that was intercepted in rum bottles at the John F Kennedy airport in New York.
Bristol, who was employed at the Special Constabulary for over a year and assigned to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri (CJIA), appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at a city court yesterday for sentencing on his trafficking in cocaine charge. Magistrate Latchman found the defendant guilty of the charge, to which he had pleaded not guilty, sentenced him to 60 months’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay a fine of $30,000.
When given the opportunity to speak, Bristol told the court that he was framed, adamantly maintaining his innocence.
Attorney Adrian Thompson, who represented the accused, made an effort to cite special reasons why his client should not be sentenced, emphasising that the court has the discretion on whether or not to impose a custodial sentence. He added that in the case of his client, no quantity was given in evidence or the charge brought against Bristol as it relates to the amount of narcotics found.
Magistrate Latchman, after hearing the special reasons cited by the attorney found the defendant guilty of the charge on the grounds that he was placed in a position of trust, the manner in which he transported the narcotics and the funds that he received from the transaction.
Bristol first appeared before the court on January 19, 2015. He and Margaret Jacobs, who was also a special constable assigned to the CJIA, were charged with
conspiring with persons unknown on November 17, 2014, at the CJIA, to traffic in narcotics. They had both pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor Bharat Mangru had highlighted that CCTV footage revealed that both Bristol and Jacobs were seen operating outside of their normal functions at the CJIA. They were contacted and asked to explain, after which, he added, Bristol admitted that he was paid by one Wilton Sinclair to help traffic the cocaine. He said Jacobs also admitted that she was paid in order to assist in carrying out the act.
Prosecutor Mangru, also stated that on November 17, 2014, Sinclair, an American citizen, who had travelled with four bottles of rum from the CJIA, was intercepted at the John F Kennedy airport, where it was discovered that two of the four bottles were laced with cocaine.
Sinclair was charged in November with possession of cocaine in the US Eastern District Court, after being found with 8.206 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in bottles of rum at the JFK Airport.
Meanwhile, Bristol also faced a second charge which stated that between August 1 and October 31, 2014, he conspired with other persons unknown to traffic in narcotics.
The accused had also pleaded not guilty to this charge.
