Two former airport workers, who were found guilty of trying to smuggle cocaine hidden in rum to the United States, were yesterday sentenced to four years in jail for the crime as well as a $17 million fine.
Loric Williams and Chris Douglas, former employees of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), who were charged last June with attempting to smuggle cocaine
in rum to the United States of America, had been recently found guilty of the crime. The sentences were handed down by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after she heard a probation report that was presented to her about the lifestyles of the two men.
Williams, 24, of 51 Prospect, East Bank Demerara and Douglas, of Timehri, were initially charged along with Keon Brewster with possession of 6.034 kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. All three men had entered not guilty pleas at the time, but Brewster, 21 years old then, changed his plea to guilty just a few weeks after the arraignment and was sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $15,020,800.
Yesterday, the Chief magistrate fined both Williams and Douglas $ 17,020,800 million, which is equivalent to three times the street value of the drugs. Williams was then sentenced to four years in prison, while his co accused Douglas, will serve four years and eleven months. The Chief Magistrate said that before she passed set the men’s prison time, she had considered the time they had already spent in jail.
