This morning November 7, 2014 when confessed drug dealer James Telsford John appeared before Magistrate Dr Velon L. John he was hit with the heavy hammer as he was sentenced to three years in prison, fined $100K and an additional 12 months for the cash that was found on his person at the time of the bust. Photo: VINO/File

The 12 month sentence will run concurrent with the three years sentence and should he fail to pay the $100k fine in the stipulated three months as ordered by the Magistrate he’ll be facing an additional two years behind bars.

James was implicated with four others in a major drug bust on August 10, 2012. Three of those have since had the case against them dismissed. John had pleaded guilty to the charges of unlawful importation of 114 kg cocaine, two counts of possession of proceeds of criminal conduct to the amount of $391,780 plus $81,585, unlawful possession of cocaine with the intent to supply and being concerned with the supply of a controlled drug to another.

When Magistrate Dr. Velon L. John had given the nudge on Wednesday September 17, 2014 for the re-trial to move on, the Crown called its first witness Detective Sergeant (DS) Wendell Ballantine who testified that several blocks of cocaine were found in the home of accused James T. John on August 10, 2012.

The DS recollected that the accused was at his New Bush home at the time of the search. According to the witness, he recalled finding one block of what was believed to have been cocaine in an Ecorox copy paper box that was in a laundry room.

The apartment contained two bedrooms and in what was said to have been an un-occupied bedroom room the DS said that several more blocks of the illegal substance were discovered. In that one room there were several cardboard boxes on the floor with blocks of cocaine while some of the boxes were empty.

There were allegedly 30 blocks of the drug found in two canvas bags, and a cardboard box marked 105 had more blocks of cocaine in it.

In the bedroom which was inhabited by John the DS said a further search revealed more cocaine on a shelf in a wardrobe taped in a box.

He said that there were several other documents that were found in the accused bedroom which were taken by investigating police officers.