BY TASHIEKA MAIR, STAR Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
CEDRIC FRANKLIN, 37, WHO tried to leave Jamaica with two pounds of cocaine in his groin, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $225,000 when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magis-trate's Court yesterday.
Franklin, who is from Bogue Village's St. James, pleaded guilty to possession, dealing and attempting to export the drug, on Monday when he first appeared before RM Winsome Henry.
Attorney-at-law, Adrian Dayes, in his mitigation plea, told the RM that his client, who owns and operates a barber shop and hairdressing salon on Union Street, started experiencing hardship as his business was suffering and he was responsible for taking care of his four sons, his wife and his parents. If his client had successfully taken the drugs abroad he would have received US$4,000 for his troubles. He asked that his client not be given a custodial sentence but that he be given a suspended sentence and be allowed to carry out his responsibilities to his dependents.
PREVALENT OFFENCE
However, RM Henry, in sentencing Franklin, said, "This offence is way too prevalent. If you had got through to take cocaine abroad you would be unleashing this drug on other people's children and I have to take that into consideration."
Franklin will have to pay a $75,000 fine for possession and $150,000 for attempting to export cocaine. If the fines are not paid he will spend an additional six months in prison on both charges. The six months will run con-secutively.
The facts are that on March 2, Mr. Franklin went to the Sangster International, Montego Bay, and checked in to board an Air Jamaica flight to Miami about 11:40 a.m. He was searched at the security checkpoint and a package of cocaine was found hidden in his groin. The substance weighed two pounds.
Do
you have a problem? Is something bothering
you? Write to 
