Latest update April 11th, 2025 9:20 AM
Man who trafficked coke to send son to college gets four years – fined $3.3M
A United States-based Guyanese who told the court that he trafficked a quantity of cocaine so that he could send his son to college to study medical science, was yesterday sentenced to four years imprisonment and fined $3.3 million
Jailed for four years: Warren McKie
by Magistrate Sunil Scarce.
Forty-eight-year-old Warren McKie of Lot 12 Princes Street, Werk-en-rust, appeared in the Providence Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded guilty with explanation to the charge which stated that on August 30 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport(CJIA), Timehri, East Bank Demerara, he had in his possession 1.252 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
McKie told the court “My worship I left Guyana 15 years ago to live in America. I am a carpenter. Last year my mother died in Guyana and I came back home and spent all my savings to bury her… I used up all my life savings on the funeral. Due to financial difficulty, I decided to take a chance with the cocaine because I want to send my son through college”.
Facts presented by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford revealed that on the day in question, around 02:36 hrs, McKie was an outgoing passenger on a Fly Jamaica airplane destined for JFK Airport, New York.
The Prosecutor told the court that while McKie checked in at the ticket counter and placed his carry-on luggage through the scanner, an officer performing duty at the time observed two square images on the monitor which appeared to be hidden in the back of the luggage.
The court heard that the luggage was then taken off the scanner and searched by ranks of CANU who discovered two parcels of cocaine lodged inside. McKie was then cautioned and replied by saying “Is me thing; I just trying a lil thing.”
He was then arrested and taken to the CANU Headquarters where the cocaine was weighed and marked in his presence.
McKie after hearing he had been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment said “Your Worship, please, can I get a better deal?”
Magistrate Scarce in return told the father of three “You know full well that trafficking cocaine is wrong. Yet you chose to do it. There are better ways of helping your children to get through college, and trafficking cocaine is not one of them. Hopefully when you get out from prison you will get a job and take care of your children” .
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