Jamaica
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Eight convicted in St. Ann cocaine bust escape prison time

By Clinton McGregor 

The seven Americans and one Jamaican who recently pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle millions of dollars worth of cocaine out of Jamaica, were on Thursday sentenced before the St. Ann Parish Court.

They were slapped with heavy fines instead of mandatory jail time.

The eight, including four women, were caught last month attempting to smuggle 17 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $130 million onto a cruise ship docked in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.

Hailey Lawrence was fined $850,000 or six months imprisonment for possession and $30,000 or six months in prison for taking steps to export.

Kaley Hall was fined $1 million or 11 months for possession and $30,000 or nine months for taking steps to export cocaine.

Tyshena Brison was fined $1.25 million or 11 months in prison.

The other convicts were given fines ranging from $1 million to $1.25 million by presiding Judge Michelle Salmon.

The police say all eight are members of an international drug trafficking network operating between Jamaica and the US.