Nassau-Two men tossed drug-filled packages overboard when police intercepted their boat off Goulding Cay.
Police arrested fishermen Denairo Newton and Randal Riley after they recovered nine pounds of marijuana from the ocean on May 7.
Newton and Riley, both 20 of Andros, pleaded guilty to possession of dangerous drugs with intent to supply at their arraignment before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt.
Attorney Ian Cargill represented both men. He asked the court to consider imposing a fine and probation.
Riley had a previous conviction in 2018 but Newton’s record was clean.
Taking this into account, the court passed different sentences.
The magistrate fined Riley $10,000 and placed him on probation for 18 months.
The court released Riley after he paid half of his fine on Friday, May 8. He has until November 2 to pay the balance to avoid spending two years in prison. If Riley breaches probation, he will spend one year in prison.
On the other hand, Ferguson-Pratt fined Newton $7,000 and placed him on probation for 18 months. He paid half of his fine yesterday to secure his release. However, if the fine isn’t paid by November 2, he will be jailed for 15 months. Should Newton breach probation, he will spend eight months in prison.
In passing sentence, Ferguson-Pratt said that the men “had embarked on a lifestyle of criminality at such a young age.”
