Carnilo Naranjo (28), the Defendant, who had leaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sell up to 3 kilos of cocaine to undercover police officers for $54,000, was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment, with time spent in custody to be taken into consideration. by Justice Quin on Wednesday 13^th March.

Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) officers arrested Naranjo outside Calico Jack’s Beach Bar in November 2010 after a sting operation but before the drugs were handed to the undercover officers.

The whole operation began when the drugs officers, originally from the United Kingdom, went undercover as real estate developers to investigate cocaine sales in local bars.

They obtained the trust of a man called Osman Bonilla at Royal Palms who introduced them to Naranjo when they said they wanted larger quantities than he could deliver.

During the meetings with Naranjo, that were all recorded by the officers, Naranjo boasted he controlled the cocaine market in Cayman earning himself in excess of half million dollars a year selling drugs. He even told the officers how to smuggle as much as 2 kilos of cocaine on the body without getting caught by using women’s stockings.

A deal was made to supply the 3 kilos at Calico Jack’s but before anything could take place a RCIPS patrol car drove into the car park there and Naranjo became suspicious and tried to move the drop location.

The officers decided to arrest Naranjo even though he did not have possession of the cocaine.

Please see iNews Cayman story on Feb 21 2013 “Man pleads guilty to supplying coke” at http://www.ieyenews.com/2013/02/man-pleads-guilty-to-supplying-coke/

Naranjo’s father is from Cuba and his mother is from Honduras. The Defendant was born, raised and educated in the Cayman Islands and has Caymanian status.  He has four brothers and one sister.  His parents divorced when he was 10 years old and there was a custody battle.

Osman Banillo had pleaded guilty for his part in the drug operation on the 8^th February 2012 and was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment two days later. Both Banillo and Naranjo had previously pleaded not guilty when the case came before the Grand Court on 21^st January 2011.

Naranjo did not change his plea to guilty until 4^th January 2013. The judge said Naranjo’s guilty plea at the eleventh hour had saved little court time and public money as three separate trial dates had been set.

Judge Quin singled out the RCIPS undercover officers and the telephone analysts saying they are to be commended for their excellent work in tracking both Narango and Bonilla down. The information that these officers unearthed verified that both Defendants Bonilla and Naranjo were deeply involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine in the Cayman Islands.

“The ease with which they obtained cocaine and sold it to the undercover officers is very disturbing,” the judge said. “Bonilla consistently supplied the undercover officers with their initial requests for small amounts of cocaine- with verifiable contact with Naranjo. When the request came for larger amounts of cocaine, Naranjo was introduced as the direct contact.

“The evidence shows that, at relatively short notice, the Defendant Naranjo was clearly able to obtain large amounts of cocaine for him to agree a deal with the undercover police officers for 3 kilos at a price of CI$54,000.00. The   Defendants   were responsible   for, what   appears   to be a developed   and

Established illegal cocaine trafficking operation and it is my view that they’re criminal activity in the retail and distribution of cocaine merits a sentence at the top end of the scale.”

Justice Quin rejected the Defence’s submission   that Naranjo’s intimate knowledge   of illegal   drug trafficking was mere bravado.

“Furthermore,” he said,  “in view of the number of cocaine transactions which took place over a relatively short space of time, and the fact that Naranjo provided a sample which was 86.1% pure, I reject the assertion that he never really intended to sell the larger quantity and that he knew that the purchasers of the cocaine were undercover policemen. There are very few mitigating features and many aggravating features in this case.”

Pointing out that Naranjo had left it very late in the day to enter his guilty plea Judge Quin said any discount in a custodial sentence must be minimal.

“The Court can take judicial notice of the fact that there is sufficient evidence in recent years that the trafficking of cocaine and other illegal drugs within the Cayman Islands has led to an increase in violent crime and the serious social breakdown in the lives of many young people and their families,” he said. “The prevalence of illegal drugs, and the well documented evidence of the damage and harm caused by illegal drugs, the legislators may wish to consider whether the maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment truly reflects the gravity of such offences, especially when there are little or no mitigating factors.

“The Court notes that the Defendant Osman Bonilla, had previous convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and, the possession of cocaine and the supply of cocaine, whereas, the Defendant Naranjo had previous convictions for the less serious offences of consuming ganja and failing to provide a specimen of urine. However, I note that Carnilo Naranjo was also sentenced to 2 years for causing grievous bodily harm.

“The evidence uncovered by the undercover policemen shows that Bonilla played a lesser role and acted under Naranjo’s directions. The Defendant Naranjo remained in the background   and only emerged from the shadows when the cocaine to be purchased increased to a much larger quantity.  Furthermore, it is the Defendant, Naranjo, who unwittingly provides the undercover officers with his intimate and detailed   knowledge   of trafficking   the contraband extraterritorially.   It was the Defendant who provided the 86.1% pure cocaine sample.

“Consequently, I find that the Defendant, Naranjo, played a leading role in directing and organising the sale of cocaine and was therefore closer to the original source.

The evidence discloses that he was further up the chain than Bonilla. Mr. Bonilla   was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment.  When I consider the appropriate sentence for the Defendant Naranjo, it is my view that, in light of Mr. Bonilla’s previous convictions, and Mr. Naranjo’s more significant role, there is very little, if anything, to differentiate the punishment they both deserve to receive.

“The evidence demonstrates that Bonilla acted on Naranjo’s instructions and therefore the Court could not impose a lesser sentence than the sentence imposed on Bonilla.  When I ignore the case against Bonilla and consider only all the evidence against the Defendant Naranjo, I consider that 8 years is the proper sentence.”