Charity vendor accused of being drug dealer

Roxanne Lawrie, a Charity vendor who police say deals drugs to school children, was on Thursday charged over cocaine and marijuana found near her stall.

Lawrie, 34, of New Road, Essequibo Coast, appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Leguan Magistrate’s Court, where she denied a charge that she had 4.5 grammes of cocaine for trafficking on November 25th.

The police also alleged that on the same date, Lawrie had 13 grammes of cannabis. She denied that charge as well.

According to the police, acting on information that Lawrie sells drugs to school children, the police went to her stall at Charity Back Street, where they saw her going to and from an unoccupied stall located next to hers.

The police then searched the unoccupied stall and they found the narcotics under a board inside.

Lawrie reportedly denied knowledge of the drugs but was arrested.

Bail was objected to by prosecutor Ramsahoye Rambajue, who told the court that Lawrie did not give any special reason to the court as to why she should be freed. He also noted that the woman has four pending matters of similar nature at the Charity Magistrate’s Court.

Rambajue told the court that a “For Sale” sign was placed at Lawrie’s property and there is a possibility that she would not return to court to attend her trial if granted bail.

Magistrate Scarce, however, said that because the narcotics were not found in Lawrie’s possession but rather in an unoccupied stall, bail would be granted to the woman.

Bail was subsequently set at $200,000 for the cocaine charge and $120,000 for the cannabis charge.

The woman was ordered to return to Charity Magistrates Court on December 21st for the commencement of trial into the matter.