St James man faces jail option over $11.8m cocaine case penalty

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A man facing an $11.8 million court-ordered payment from a 2014 drug conviction has indicated that prison is the only option he can manage, saying he does not have the money to settle the sum.

Details placed before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday showed that Ewart Fowler was convicted 12 years ago for possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, and taking steps to export the drug. The case later moved through the courts and reached the Home Circuit Court.

On January 26, 2021, the court made a pecuniary penalty order against Fowler, directing him to pay $11.8 million by July 6, 2021. Such an order requires a convicted person to hand over money assessed as the value of gains obtained from criminal conduct.

Authorities allege that Fowler failed to meet the order by the deadline. He was held on April 28 this year on Howard Cooke Boulevard in Montego Bay, told of the allegations, cautioned, and then arrested over the alleged breach.

While being questioned under caution, Fowler reportedly said, “Mi willing fi do time at prison because mi nuh have nuh money fi pay.”

The matter is scheduled for case management on June 29. Fowler remains on bail, which was extended until that date.