Otis Shearman to pay for cocaine

Otis Shearman will have to come up with $1,200 in one month if he is to avoid spending time in jail. Shearman, of Calliaqua, was jointly charged with Khamal DeRoche of Frenches for the possession of 55 grammes of cocaine with the intent to supply to another.{{more}}

Shearman, 29, pleaded guilty while DeRoche, 25, pleaded not guilty. The case against DeRoche was withdrawn. The men appeared at the Serious Offences Court on Wednesday, September 9, 2009.

Facts read in court state that officers of the Rapid Response Unit and Narcotics Division stopped a vehicle in Mesopotamia on Tuesday, September 8, at 11:45 a.m. Shearman, an occupant in the vehicle, was seen by police emptying a white substance from a transparent plastic bag through the window of the vehicle. He was searched and another white transparent bag with cocaine was found in his pants pocket. Officers were able to recover remnants of the drug that was discarded by Shearman.

Shearman was also found with a sum of money, including foreign currency. He had EC$336, US$2, TT$20, 10 Swiss Francs and Chinese currency in his possession.

Prosecutor Inspector Nigel Butcher requested that Chief Magistrate Sonya Young order forfeiture of the currencies stating that the way in which the monies were divided and the fact that he was found with the cocaine suggested the sale of drugs.

Inspector Butcher said that the EC dollars were divided into three $100 bills, one $20 bill, one $10 bill and six $1 pieces. There were two US$1 pieces, one TT$20 bill, one $10 Swiss francs bill and one Chinese bill. Butcher added that the estimated value of the drugs was about EC$1,000.

In mitigation, lawyer Ronald Marks said that his client is employed at a marina at Calliaqua. Marks said that Shearman cleans boats, yachts and runs errands for sailors there, which is how he came to be in possession of the foreign currency. Most foreign sailors, Marks said, would tip in their own currency. “There is nothing on its own that says it (money) came from the retail sale of drugs,” Marks said.

Marks added that Shearman was given the drugs to transport and was told that he would have been paid when the drugs were received. Marks implored Magistrate Young to impose a fine for Shearman’s offense, saying that his client was remorseful for his foolish actions. Shearman was fined $1,500; $300 to be paid forthwith and the remainder in one month or he will serve eight months in prison. The EC$336 was forfeited.

Shearman first made headlines as a student of the Intermediate High School in 2000. At a graduation ceremony at the St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Shearman’s hand was almost severed when he was chopped during the school event. Jamal “Cribbit” Finch was charged with wounding Shearman. (OS)