👩‍⚕️ US nurse fined for smuggling cocaine into Cayman Islands

Yoojin Oh, a nurse from the United States, was fined $11,038 by the Grand Court for attempting to smuggle over 7 grams of cocaine into the Cayman Islands. The drugs were discovered in her luggage by customs officers at the Owen Roberts International Airport. The court determined that Oh had brought the drugs for personal use, stemming from a cocaine addiction, and decided to impose a fine instead of a jail sentence. 🏛️

Oh, who worked as an emergency room nurse in a New Jersey hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, had become heavily dependent on cocaine to cope with the stress and trauma. Her defense attorney, Jonathon Hughes, stated that this incident served as a wake-up call for Oh, who now plans to seek help for her addiction. The court received numerous character references for Oh, all of which described her as compassionate and selfless, and expressed their support for her recovery. 🏥

Justice Cheryll Richards emphasized the seriousness of Oh's offence, despite the mitigating circumstances. In addition to the $10,000 fine, Oh was ordered to pay $1,038 in costs for the testing conducted on the drugs. If she fails to pay by Monday morning, she faces six months in jail. Richards urged Oh to seek help for her mental health and addiction, and stressed that the non-custodial sentence did not diminish the gravity of her crime. 🚨