(CMR) A US emergency room nurse who was arrested with 7.15 grams of cocaine when she arrived in the Cayman Islands for a wedding last month was fined CI$10,000 or six months in prison on Friday, 5 April.
Yoojin Oh (31) pleaded guilty to four counts of importation of controlled drugs when she appeared in court last week. The cocaine, valued at US$858, was found in eight small packets in four separate areas of her luggage, including a bag with toiletries and jeans in her luggage.
The drug was determined to be for personal use and not for sale. She was fined CI$2,500 for each count and ordered to pay $1,038 for the cost of analyzing the drugs.
When Oh appeared in Grand Court on Friday for sentencing, her attorney suggested a suspended sentence; however, Justice Cheryll Richards said a suspended sentence would not be appropriate as the court would not be able to monitor the defendant, who lives in another jurisdiction. She then opted to impose a large monetary fine.
Justice Richards, in handing down the sentence, said there was an attempt to conceal the drugs as it was hidden in separate areas.
Based on sentencing guidelines, the recommended sentence for 1 to 10 grams of cocaine is 9 to 12 months and a fine of $1000, with emphasis to be placed on rehabilitation where the offense is based on addiction.
Justice Richards said while accepting that the importation of the drug was for personal use, it does not excuse what the defendant did.
She said it was far more than a lapse of judgment, as Oh's friend had stated in their character references; it was a deliberate breach of the laws of the Cayman Islands.
Justice Richards said it is a criminal offense and not a mistake. She added that it is a serious offense that deserves a severe punishment.
The judge, however, took into consideration the fact that Oh admitted to customs officers that the substance was cocaine. She also accepted that the defendant was remorseful.
“You have not only let yourself down, but your relatives and your friends…all of them must be deeply ashamed, as must you,” Justice Richards said to Oh.
“You must face the reality that you have a problem, and you need help,” she added.
She noted that Oh was highly dependent on the drug because she couldn't be away from it for a short time for a wedding.
The court heard that Oh, who works as an emergency room nurse in New Jersey, has been suffering from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, which led to her drug addiction.
Character references described her as a selfless healthcare worker who worked on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The court also heard that just days before coming to Cayman, Oh helped to treat a victim of a heroin overdose and a crash victim.
Since being in the Cayman Islands, Oh, who was locked up for one week, has been treated for anxiety at the hospital.
“I deeply regret the harm and disappointment my actions caused,” Oh said, according to a statement read by her lawyer.
She apologized and promised to take action to address her addiction and mental problems. Friends and family also promised to ensure she gets the rehabilitation needed.
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