And while the cops have yet to pinpoint evidence of an inside job at the prison, one weekend bust is more than suspect for funny business. It's the case of a WPC, three women, and a female minor found transporting over 23 pounds of weed.
And this morning ACP Myvette told us that, as always, misbehaving officers are not protected but charged for the crimes which they commit.
ACP Joseph Myvett, Head, National Crimes Investigation Branch
"Sometime around 10:45pm acting upon information received Corozal police was on operation between miles seventy-seven and seventy-eight on the Philip Goldson Highway where they stopped a silver in color double cab pickup truck at the time driven by one Stephanie Patnett Cima, who is a police officer, and she was accompanied by Leidy Hall, Alexia Burns, Anne Marie Burns and a sixteen-year-old female minor all of Orange Walk Town. A search of the vehicle, resulted in the discovery of ten parcels of suspected cannabis weighing a total of twenty three point four pounds. Those persons have all been arrested and charged for possession with intent to supply a control drug and based on further follow up investigation police also arrested a male person known as Berris Anglin, forty-two-year-old, of a Orange Walk Town address jointly along with those persons."
Reporter
"Now, sir, Miss Cima was driving her husband's vehicle and that seems important because he is assigned to the QRT that chases drug planes, does that have anything to do, in your opinion, with how she got these drugs?"
ACP Joseph Myvett
"I don't want to go into the details to say that that is the case because if you notice her husband wasn't charged. He was not the male person that was charged, based on the investigation."
Reporter
"Will there be further investigation into the husband though?"
ACP Joseph Myvett
"Certainly, there will be."
As you heard one man, Gorge Andlyn was also charged in connection with this crime, that's after he walked into the Orange Walk police station claiming that the drugs were his. Today he pleaded guilty to that charge while all 5 women found transporting the drugs plead not guilty.
So while six persons appeared for the arraignment including Police Officer 33 year old Stephanie Patten and were charged jointly for the offense of Possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply. All female defendants pleaded not guilty, while Andlyn pleaded guilty.
In sentencing Andlyn, the court heard extensive pleas from the defense attorneys. Both attorneys pleaded for the Magistrate to take into accounts these circumstances and to use her discretion to show leniency. Andlyn also spoke from the dock, telling the court that he was sorry. The prosecutor Assistant Superintendent Elvin Sambula saw things differently. He pointed out that Andlyn did not submit himself to the Police until a day after the drug bust, even though he said the drugs and vehicle were his.
In her sentencing, Magistrate Deborah Rogers agreed that the drug discovery was a gross amount and acknowledged the pleadings for leniency. She therefore placed a non-custodial sentence of $10,000 and granted the application for the forfeiture of Andlyn's Honda vehicle. Andlyn was ordered to pay $3,000 forthwith while the remaining $7,000 balance must be paid in a year.
The charges against the five female defendants were thereafter dropped.
ACP Myvette also confirmed that there will be further disciplinary action taken against WPC Cima.
