TAMPA, Florida — Reggae singer Buju Banton could be out of federal prison in six years, according to his attorney David Oscar Markus. Speaking to reporters after the verdict of a ten-year sentence was handed down by United States judge Jim Moody, Markus said Banton would be credited with the 18 months he spent incarcerated in the Pinellas County Jail in Tampa, Florida.
“He will get credit for all the time he was in, plus good time credit. So he’s got six years remaining on his sentence. Six years is too much time, but it’s much better than the 15 years he was looking at going in this morning,” Markus said.
Banton, who will be taken to a federal prison in Miami next week, was philosophical in a message he sent with Markus telling his children to hold strain.
“To my family, especially my children, remember our little song, Love the Lord and do no evil. The man is not dead, don’t call him a ghost,” the message read.
Banton appeared in court dressed in prison garb and shackled at the feet. He watched silently as Markus appealed to the court for a lighter sentence and waved to his supporters before flashing a brief smile as he was whisked out of court.
After listening to Markus’ submission, Moody indicated that he was bound by law to hand down the mandatory ten-year sentence and agreed with an earlier argument by prosecutor Jim Preston that Banton’s participation was key to the drug deal and that he expected to profit from the deal despite limited participation. However, the judge did not concede to Preston’s request for a lengthy sentence.
The judge also dropped the charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug offence, citing that Banton did not know that his two co-defendants — Ian Thomas and James Mack — were in possession of an illegal gun when they were arrested attempting to purchase a large amount of cocaine from federal agents in a police controlled warehouse in Tampa, Florida.
Preston, who argued that there was a difference between Buju Banton the “joyful” reggae artiste and Mark Myrie the drug dealer, appeared peeved when the sentence was read out and declined to speak with reporters outside the Sam Gibbons US Court when the matter ended.
Outside the court, Markus told reporters that he would be moving speedily to secure the artiste’s release in an appellate court in the neighbouring state of Georgia. If successful, the artiste could be out in less than the six years projected by Markus, whose legal team also included Margo Moss and Dave Seidel.
“We are hopeful, we are still optimistic, we are very thankful that the judge did that today and now we will appeal to an appellate court in Atlanta, Georgia,” Markus said. “Three judges will hear our case on the 10-year drug count that is left and we will be arguing that the evidence was insufficient on the drug count and that there was entrapment as a matter of law because of that scoundrel Alex Johnson. Mark Myrie is my brother, and I am going to keep fighting until they tell me to stop fighting.”
Myrie was arrested at his home in Tamarac, South Florida after almost a year of surveillance of telephone and live conversations and video recordings that included him tasting cocaine in a Saratoga warehouse. (Jamaica Observer)