An American entertainer who was charged for cocaine smuggling after being held at the Sangster International Airport last year, was given a 12- month mandatory sentence when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
He is 37-year-old Kevin Tapper of North Brunswick, New Jersey. The police reported that Tapper was among six people arrested in connection with the seizure of approximately 8.4 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay on December 18.
Also arrested were: 60- year-old entertainer, Claudette Miller-Robinson; 34-year-old entertainment manager, Simone Baccas; 35-year-old entertainer, Karell Wisdom; 34-year-old singer, Garth Jobson and 29 year-old singer, Ramone Rowe, all of St James addresses.
Tapper, Wisdom and Jobson are members of the trio 3rdNWest. Reports are that all checked in on the same flight about 5:00 pm destined for New York when they were searched by the police and cocaine with a total weight of 3.6 kilogramms found strapped to their bodies and hidden in shoes and slippers in their luggage.
They were also suspected of drug ingestion and taken to hospital where it was discovered that the four men had swallowed cocaine pellets. Over the course of three days they expelled 438 pellets with a total weight of 4.8 kilograms.
The cocaine has an estimated street value of $12 million, the police said. In addition to the mandatory 12 months’ sentence, Tapper was fined $100,000, or six months, for possession of cocaine and $150,000, or six months, for attempting to export cocaine.
He was freed of dealing in cocaine. Jobson and Rowe were sentenced to 14 months and nine months in prison, respectively. Wisdom is to return to court on May 1 for sentencing while the other two accused are to return on May 14.
How dem ya people sentencing coming like a joke really one year fi drugs. A mi memba wa headline met di put up weh judge Pusey gi di man if I remember correctly almost a year fi tief the Julie mangoes. Mi read stories weh people no off weh dem ya people a get soooo unbelievable time something no smell good pon da case ya. :hoax2 :hoax2
:thanks2
Why would these people be smuggling cocaine? especially 60 year old Claudette? Seems like somebody force them like how dudus force the higgla dem fi smuggle if dem waa sell a arcade and all threaten dem family ect. Indeed something don’t seem right wid the 1 yr sentence. Everybody just so damn corrupt.
A the sameting me a say to :cystg :cystg
You get caught with drugs in Jamaica 12mths, Get caught in America 20yrs. LOL. Ayyeeeeee bwoy. A tell you.
Suh is di gospel singer dat wid not just one but two bore eayze? Some of these folks just doing way to much. All one a dem hand look like him a bleach..I can’t wid deze ppl..lol
It cost too much fi feed dem…a hope dem survive di 12months cause being Locked up Abroad nuh easy