Man found with ganja fined $100K

A St Catherine man who admitted to having 11 pounds of ganja in his possession was fined $100,000 when he appeared before the St Catherine Parish Court on Wednesday.

Sheldon Hines pleaded guilty to charges of possession of ganja and dealing in ganja arising from a police raid at his premises earlier this year.

During sentencing, Parish Court Judge Roneiph Lawrence cautioned Hines against relying on ganja sales as a source of income.

“Ganja is not a controlled substance, and you cannot be selling it for a living,” the judge told him.

Hines was fined $15,000 or 30 days imprisonment for possession of ganja and $85,000 or 30 days imprisonment for dealing in ganja.

The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently if the fines are not paid.

The court heard that on April 4, 2026, police conducted an operation at Hines’ premises where vegetable matter resembling ganja was allegedly found during a search.

Hines and a woman, Mickailia Williams, were subsequently arrested and charged with possession and dealing in ganja.

However, Williams was freed after the Crown offered no evidence against her.