By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 25-year-old LIU worker is behind bars after being fined $505 for possession of 73 grams (2.5 ounces) of cannabis and failing to settle more than $1,000 in previous court fines.
Nathan Beaton, of a West Canal address, appeared this week in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a charge of possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply after police allegedly found him with 73 grams of marijuana on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
Although Beaton initially pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply, the prosecutor accepted a plea to the lesser charge of simple possession, noting that the quantity was only 13 grams above the legal threshold for drug trafficking.
Before entering his plea, Beaton—who appeared unrepresented—questioned the legality of the handling of the marijuana evidence after claiming that one of the officers had wrapped the cannabis in a brown paper bag. The Senior Magistrate explained that the process was lawful and that removing or altering any part of the evidence would amount to tampering.
The court then imposed a non-custodial fine of $500 plus $5 in court costs, which Beaton was ordered to pay by July 2026.
However, the matter took a turn when the court learned that Beaton still owed $1,065 in outstanding fines from two previous convictions. One unpaid fine totaled $805, carrying a default sentence of eight months, while another totaled $255, carrying a two-month default sentence.
The Senior Magistrate ordered that unless Beaton could pay at least $500 immediately, he would have to serve the default sentences consecutively rather than concurrently.
Unable to pay, Beaton was escorted to the Belize Central Prison to begin serving time for the unpaid fines.
According to police, at around 11:30 p.m. on April 2, police were on mobile patrol when they observed a man in a yellow polo shirt carrying a bag acting suspiciously as the police vehicle approached. Officers said the man rushed into a nearby yard and headed toward the back of the property.
Police stopped and searched him, allegedly discovering a green plastic bag containing green leafy material suspected to be cannabis inside his sling bag.
Officers also reported finding cash in various denominations, including one $100 bill, two $20 bills, one $10 bill, and six $1 coins, believed to be proceeds of crime.
Beaton and the suspected cannabis were taken to the police station, where the substance was weighed in his presence and amounted to 73 grams.
The post Belize City man fined $500 for 2.5 ounces of weed but sent to jail because of previous unpaid fines over $1,000 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 25-year-old LIU worker is behind bars after being fined $505 for possession of 73 grams (2.5 ounces) of cannabis and failing to settle more than $1,000 in previous court fines. Nathan Beaton, of a West Canal address, appeared this week in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a charge
The post Belize City man fined $500 for 2.5 ounces of weed but sent to jail because of previous unpaid fines over $1,000 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
