30 year-old Walter Salazar, a farmer of Armenia Village, is facing an eleven thousand-dollar fine after he pleaded guilty to illegally harvesting mahogany Trees for timber.
Last week Thursday, police intercepted a white truck at the junction of Fabers Road and the George Price Highway. Salazar was driving, and when the cops searched the truck, they found 153 pieces of Mahogany lumber, which amounted to just over 1700 board feet. The cops handed over Salazar and the illegally harvested lumber to the Forestry Department. He was charged with unlawful possession of forest produce and the illegal conversion of Mahogany Trees using a chain saw.
When he was arraigned today before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford, he pleaded guilty to both offenses. The senior magistrate sentenced him to pay fines of 10,627 dollars by March 2nd of next year. If he defaults on payment, he will serve 1 year in jail. He was additionally fined $500 for the chainsaw offense, and he must pay that by January 15th of next year, or else he will spend 6 months in jail.
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