A British man was sentenced to nine months imprisonment after failing in his attempt to smuggle nine pounds of cocaine from the island.
Forty-seven year-old Errol Myers of Birmingham, England was also fined $450,000 and could spend an extra 3 months in prison if the fine is not paid.
He pleaded guilty to possession, dealing and attempting to export the illegal drugs.
Sentence was handed down by Senior Resident Magistrate V. Harris in the Montego Bay RM court on Friday, November 20.
In mitigation, Myers attorney, Christian Tavares-Finson said his client has found himself in the wrong company and has expressed remorse.
The attorney also said that he accepts that it was a lot of cocaine but asked for leniency nevertheless.
Tavares-Finson pointed out that Myers has cooperated with the police from the outset and asked the magistrate to utilize other options such as a financial penalty instead of sending his client to prison.
In handing down sentence, the magistrate said the drugs was a substantial amount and that she could not offer a non-custodial sentence due to the gravity of the offence.
However, she said she would give him a substantial discount as she believes that people who come clean should be extended some form of leniency.
For possession of the drug, he was fined $100,000 or three months and $150,000 or three months for dealing in it. On the export charge, he was fined $200,000 or three months and was sentenced to a mandatory 9-month prison term.
Reports are that on November 7, 2009, Myers was in the process of checking in to board a British Airways flight to London from the Sangster International Airport when 2 suitcases he had in his possession were searched.
The pieces of luggage were opened and each was found to have a jar of chocolate mix containing the contraband.
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