Popular Montego Bay resident Leebert Ramcharan, was found guilty on Wednesday after a seven-week jury trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Donovan 'Plucky' Williams, another resident of Montego Bay who was also on trial was found guilty as well.

The two had appeared before the Honourable Judge Patricia A. Seitz. Both defendants were convicted of conspiracy to import and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 963 and 846, res-pectively. They face a maximum statutory sentence of life imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 23 at 8:30 a.m.

R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in charge of Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement at a press conference on Wed-nesday.

Ramcharan who United States President George Bush had designated a drug kingpin and Williams were arrested in Montego Bay in 2004. They were extradited to the United States in 2007, after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Government.

The trial against Ramcharan and Williams began on January 15, and included testimony from more than 15 witnesses, including officers from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Royal Bahamian Police Force (RBPF), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and civilian witnesses from Colombia, the United States and Jamaica. In addition, the United States Government introduced more than 100 items of evidence, including wiretaps on the telephones of the co-conspirators by the Colombian government, and the Bahamian government in 2002-2003.

According to the evidence presented at trial, defendant Ramcharan was the leader of a sophisticated operation in Jamaica. From 1998 through 2004, this drug organisation received as much as 15,000 kilograms of cocaine imported via go fast vessels from the Northern Coast of Colombia. The cocaine was then stored in Jamaica, and subsequently it was transported to The Bahamas on boats and aeroplanes. Ultimately, the cocaine was imported into the U.S. for distribution and sale in South Florida.

Acosta commended the extraordinary cooperation of the Colombian National Police, the Jamaican Constabulary Force, the Royal Bahamian Police Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division, Jamaican Country Office, Bahamian Country Office and Bogota Country Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alicia Shick and Arthur Wyatt.