Man who lost home in Hurricane Melissa jailed in Cayman Islands for drug smuggling

A life already battered by natural disaster has taken a criminal turn for one Jamaican fisherman, who lost his home in Hurricane Melissa and is now serving a sentence in the Cayman Islands for drug smuggling.

Eric Junior Cunningham, 42, was sentenced to 24 months, while his compatriot, Radmond Junior Samuels, 33, received 18 months after pleading guilty to transporting more than 167 pounds of marijuana. The ruling was delivered by Justice Emma Peters late last month.

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard intercepted the boat on March 25, 32 nautical miles south of Grand Cayman. Cunningham was operating the vessel while Samuels was the passenger. Officers found nine packages of marijuana, a GPS device, and a satellite phone.

Both men had initially pleaded not guilty in May but changed their pleas three weeks before their scheduled September trial. Cunningham admitted he had agreed to smuggle the drugs for a promised payment of US$5,000, which he never received.

A social inquiry report highlighted Cunningham's hardships, noting that he is a farmer who had suffered significant losses, including damage to his home in a previous storm and its complete destruction in Hurricane Melissa.

Samuels told police he had been pressured into the operation by a man known as "Bigs." His background includes the early loss of both parents, limited education, and ongoing health issues.

Justice Peters accepted that neither man played a leading role in the operation but emphasized that transporting drugs by sea remains a critical link in the supply chain. Cunningham's role as boat operator placed him in a "significant" category, while Samuels' involvement was considered "lesser" due to intimidation.

"The miserable trade in illegal drugs is such that those at the top profit the most while exposing themselves the least," Justice Peters said. She added that the two men were targeted solely to move the drugs to the Cayman Islands.

With time spent on remand and the possibility of early release for good behaviour after serving 60 percent of their sentences, the men are expected to return to Jamaica early next year. The court also ordered that the seized drugs be forfeited and destroyed.

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