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Legal
Buju Banton found guilty of drugs charges
By CMU Editorial | Published on Wednesday 23 February 2011
Buju Banton is facing up to fifteen years in jail after being found guilty of various drugs charges in the Florida courts over allegations the reggae singer conspired to set up a cocaine deal in 2009.
As previously reported, Banton was arrested after seemingly trying to buy five kilos of cocaine in 2009. Prosecutors also told the court that the singer had told a police informant that he could set up a coke deal on several occasions.
However, Banton has always maintained that he was tricked by a cocaine smuggler, and that while he may have told the informant he could set up a drugs deal such claims were actually idle boasts. The prosecution conceded that no money had ever changed hands in relation to any drugs deal Banton spoke about.
When the case first came to court last September jurors couldn’t reach a decision and a mistrial was declared. This time it took jurors two days to decide the singer was guilty of three of the four charges he faced: conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offence and using the wires to facilitate a drug trafficking offence. He was cleared of the charged of attempted possession with the intent to distribute.
Banton is now awaiting sentencing, but his lawyer admitted yesterday he could get up to fifteen years. He has been in a US jail since being arrested back in 2009.
