A 32-year-old Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) man will be spending the next two years in prison after he admitted to a trafficking in narcotics charge.
Orlando Montooth, of Victory Valley, Wismar, Linden, admitted to the charge which stated that on January 5, 2019, he had several ziplock plastic bags containing 138 grams of cannabis sativa.
Magistrate Wanda Fortune also fined Montooth $35,000 for the offence when he appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.
According to the prosecution’s case, Police swooped down on Montooth’s home and unearthed the illegal substance. The prosecution’s stated that following the discovery, the man admitted to Police that he sold the prohibited substance to take care of his family.
On Monday, in a plea of mitigation, Montooth begged Magistrate Fortune for leniency, noting that he was a “family man” who farms vegetables to support his children. He said he decided to sell the cannabis to supplement his income and expressed remorse at his decision.
He further told the Magistrate that he was hoping to receive money from the sales to send his children back to school on Monday, but this had been unsuccessful since he was arrested. Asked by the presiding Magistrate what his idea of leniency was, Montooth said he is willing to pay a fine but was informed by the Magistrate that the offence carries up to five years in prison. As such, the two-year sentence was handed down.
