Two months in prison or $100k fine for two men caught with bags of cassava

A routine police stop turned costly for three men after officers uncovered four bags of cassava worth $50,000 without the required documentation, landing two of them with $100,000 fines in the St Catherine Parish Court on Monday.

Marvin Rodney of Linstead, St Catherine, who was charged with failing to have a receipt, and Herman Golding of Clarendon, who was charged with failing to issue a receipt, both pleaded guilty and were each fined $100,000 or two months' imprisonment.

A third accused, Wayne Barrieffe, who pleaded guilty with an explanation, failed to appear in court, prompting Senior Parish Court Judge Desiree Alleyne to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Barrieffe was the driver of the vehicle in which the four bags of cassava tubers were found.

The court heard that Judge Alleyne reduced the original fine of $200,000 following an application by defence counsel but reminded the men that the court had been lenient, noting that the maximum penalty under the law is $3 million.

According to the prosecution, on March 25, 2026, police intercepted a motor vehicle travelling along the Time and Patience main road in St Catherine.

During a search, officers discovered four bags of cassava valued at $50,000 and requested the required Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) receipt.

Rodney reportedly told investigators he had purchased the cassava from Golding in May Pen, Clarendon.

Further investigations led to Golding's arrest after he travelled to Linstead, and all three men were subsequently charged following question-and-answer sessions.

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