Bail granted to man connected to US$500,000 cocaine bust in St Andrew

The court has granted bail to a Property Manager who is connected to the US$500,000 drug bust in St Andrew earlier this year.

Allen Patrick Constable, 63, was offered bail in the sum of $2 million dollars when he appeared before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Thursday.

The bail offer was made after presiding judge Sanchia Burrell perused an antecedent report she requested to satisfy herself that he has no similar cases pending and was not a "drug kingpin".

The antecedent report and Constable's attorneys, Odane Marston and Rodain Richardson, confirmed that his only conviction was in the United States where he pleaded guilty to drug-related charges.

He was ordered to surrender his travel documents to the police and report to the police every day as part of his bail conditions. A stop order has been placed on him at the ports.

Constable is facing charges of possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to traffic cocaine as well as possession of criminal property.

He is also charged with possession of, dealing in, trafficking and conspiracy to traffic marijuana.

The police report that a team intercepted a Toyota bus at the entrance to the Charlton Court apartment complex in St Andrew on January 8 this year.

A search of the vehicle and an apartment inside the complex revealed 122 parcels of cocaine weighing approximately 272 pounds with a street value of nearly US$500,000.

Prosecutors alleged, too, that during a secondary operation later that day a barrel containing 45 pounds of ganja was found at another property he either owned or controlled.

His attorneys insisted, during Thursday's court appearance, that Constable "denies the allegations entirely".

He is scheduled to stand trial on September 15.

-Livern Barrett

We want to hear from you! Email us at star@gleanerjm.com and follow @thejamaicastar on Instagram and on X @JamaicaStar and on Facebook: @TheJamaicaStar