By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 29-year-old Belize City resident narrowly avoided a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to drug trafficking in the Magistrate’s Court.
Darwin Nunez, a labourer T-Street, was fined $500 plus a $5 court cost after admitting to possession of 1,892 grams of cannabis, that’s over 4 pounds of weed, with intent to supply. He was ordered to pay the fine by April 30, 2026, in default of one month and one week imprisonment.
The court heard that Nunez had intended to sell the cannabis to make money, telling the magistrate he was trying to “mek ah lee money” during a difficult phase in his life. He also claimed that the driver who had given him a ride was unaware of the drugs in his possession.
Despite the quantity of cannabis—equivalent to over four pounds—Nunez received a non-custodial sentence. The sitting magistrate referenced the principle of proportionality, citing a previous case, and exercised discretion in imposing a fine rather than the mandatory penalty. Under the law, Nunez had been facing a minimum fine of $10,000, in default three years imprisonment, or a prison term of up to three years.
The incident occurred on Sunday, March 22, 2026, around 3:00 p.m. on Brown Street. Police officers on mobile patrol observed Nunez exiting a white vehicle with a black bag. Upon noticing the approaching police vehicle, he reportedly ran into an abandoned lot and placed the bag on the ground before attempting to walk away.
Officers detained and searched him, then retrieved the bag, which contained a transparent plastic package with suspected cannabis. Nunez was taken to Precinct 1 Police Station, where he was formally identified and later charged.
His guilty plea and mitigation plea for leniency ultimately resulted in the reduced penalty.
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By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 29-year-old Belize City resident narrowly avoided a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to drug trafficking in the Magistrate’s Court. Darwin Nunez, a labourer T-Street, was fined $500 plus a $5 court cost after admitting to possession of 1,892 grams of cannabis, that’s over 4 pounds of weed, with
The post Man trying to ‘mek ah lee money’ busted with over 4 pounds of weed dodges $10,000 fine/3-year sentence; instead gets $500 fine appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
