By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 28-year-old Belize City garbage collector was fined after pleading guilty to possession of crack cocaine in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court.
Francisco Gutierrez, of Antelope Street, appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate in Court #2 on Monday and admitted to possessing 0.4 grams of crack cocaine.
The court fined Gutierrez $500, along with $5 in court costs. He must pay the fine by September 30, 2026, or serve three months in prison in default.
The charge arose from an incident on Friday, July 10, when police officers patrolling Southern Foreshore reportedly saw Gutierrez acting suspiciously and conducted a search. Officers allegedly found a white, rock-like substance inside his pants pocket, which was later confirmed to be crack cocaine.
During mitigation, Gutierrez told the court that he had been socializing with a female friend who uses drugs and claimed she influenced him to possess the substance. He described the incident as a “big mistake” and promised not to repeat the offence.
The court noted that Gutierrez has a previous conviction for theft and still owes an outstanding fine, which must be paid by August 31, 2026.
The Senior Magistrate warned Gutierrez that another drug conviction could result in imprisonment instead of a fine.
The post Garbage collector fined $500 for crack cocaine possession; says lady friend convinced him to try it appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 28-year-old Belize City garbage collector was fined after pleading guilty to possession of crack cocaine in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court. Francisco Gutierrez, of Antelope Street, appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate in Court #2 on Monday and admitted to possessing 0.4 grams of crack cocaine. The court fined
The post Garbage collector fined $500 for crack cocaine possession; says lady friend convinced him to try it appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
