Nigel Registe and Kevin Greaves will spend nearly three years in prison for allegedly trying to smuggle 6.42 kilograms of cocaine through the territory on a go-fast boat, Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards ruled on Friday in Magistrates’ Court.
Ms. Richards sentenced Mr. Registe, the owner of the boat, to 35 months in prison for unlawful possession of cocaine with intent to supply and fined him $90,000. Mr. Greaves received a punishment of 33 months and $66,000. Both men have six months to pay the fines or else face an additional six months imprisonment.
The two also received prison terms for the offences of illegal entry and possession of a controlled drug, but those lesser sentences will run concurrently with the ones for attempting to supply cocaine.
The defendants pleaded guilty to having the drugs, but they disputed their value.
The Crown wanted to use the cocaine’s street value for prosecution – $100,000 per kilogram – while the defence argued that its bulk value – $30,000 per kilogram – should be used instead.
Ms. Richards sided with the Crown, saying that the Virgin Islands always uses that metric for such charges.
See the June 19, 2014 edition for full coverage.