Police Corporal Darius Martinez Sentenced to Eighteen Months in Prison

Darius Martinez

This morning, Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith heard closing arguments in the case against Police Corporal Darius Martinez. The cop was facing charges for Attempting to Corrupt a Public Officer back in May 2011. Martinez was accused by W.P.C. Stacey Smith of the GSU.  At the time of the allegations, Martinez was working as a security officer at the residence of John McAfee, whose home had been searched by GSU weeks prior to his arrest.  Smith recorded a conversation with Martinez in which he asked her if she wanted to make some money to take care of something in the McAfee case. Martinez was referring to a woman who was in police custody following the search in Orange Walk. In court today, Prosecutor Linsbert Willis submitted that indeed the accused cop is guilty of the offense since in the evidence of WPC Smith, he offered her money in return for her looking out for the woman, who was associated with McAfee. But Martinez’s attorney, Anthony Sylvester, submitted that the intent of his client was not established in the recorded conversation. This afternoon, Chief Magistrate Smith found Martinez guilty of Attempting to Corrupt a Public Officer and he was sentenced to eighteen months behind bars.