Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2024. 7:38 pm CST.
By Aaron Humes: An American journalist, Roderick Hilbert Boone, found himself in trouble at the start of his vacation in Belize after being caught with 22 grams of marijuana at the Phillip Goldson International Airport. Boone, hailing from North Carolina, pleaded guilty to the Importation of Controlled Drugs and was fined $2,000 by the Senior Magistrate. He was given until August 28, 2024, to make the payment, with the alternative being one year of imprisonment.
Boone, who identified himself as a multi-media journalist, claimed that he only had around 13 grams, attributing the discrepancy to the weighing process. Despite this, he admitted to importing the substance from North Carolina into Belize. The Senior Magistrate considered Boone’s status as a first-time offender and his ties to Belize, including owning land in Hopkins and plans to move to the country, before determining the fine.
The journalist is set to depart from Belize on August 29, 2024, and has stated that this incident marks the first time he has encountered legal trouble in the country during his four visits. Boone explained that he had the marijuana for medicinal purposes, citing pain in his left arm, and claimed to be unaware that the allowable amount for personal use in Belize is 10 grams, as he believed 13 grams to be permissible.
The authorities were alerted to Boone’s possession of marijuana after a Customs Clerk at the airport detected the odor of the substance. Upon being questioned, Boone admitted to having the marijuana and handed it over to the police from a transparent plastic bag that he had in his possession after arriving from a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta, Georgia.
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The post American journalist fined for cannabis possession on vacation to Belize appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Saturday, August 24, 2024. 7:38 pm CST. By Aaron Humes: An American journalist, Roderick Hilbert Boone, found himself in trouble at the start of his
The post American journalist fined for cannabis possession on vacation to Belize appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
