Father of 5 jailed for 4 years, fined $1.7M for cocaine

An apologetic father of five was this morning sentenced to four years behind bars and fined $1.7M after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine.  36-year-old Shaka Nunes, a labourer, of 32 Laing Street, Charlestown, and his reputed wife Vinica Williams of Linden appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It is alleged that on February 15, 2021, at 31 Maxwell Alley Christianburg, Linden, DHL Express at 31 ’B’ Republic Avenue, Linden, and DHL Express at 50 ‘E’ 5th Street Alberttown, Georgetown, they transferred 3.692 kilograms of cocaine.

Nunes pleaded guilty to the charge while his wife pleaded not guilty. Based on Nunes’s guilty plea, the prosecutor withdrew the charge against his wife. Facts presented by Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Konyo Sandiford, stated that on the day in question Nunes gave Williams a box containing snacks to ship to the USA.

The said box was intercepted in Georgetown at DHL. An investigation was conducted and the couple was arrested and charged for the offense.  Before sentencing, the man asked the court to be lenient with him stating that he is the sole breadwinner for his family.

The Chief Magistrate in handing down the custodial sentence took into consideration the man’s early guilty plea and the fact that he did not waste the court’s time.