The Tribune

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – Two former police officers convicted of stealing nearly $800 of gasoline from the Royal Bahamas Police Force were each ordered by a Supreme Court judge to pay a fine.

Racine Milfort and Tony Griffin appeared before Senior Justice Hartman Longley at a sentencing hearing on Wednesday.

Instead of imposing a custodial sentence, Justice Longley ordered that the time the men spent in jail on remand count as time served, and ordered each to pay a fine of $349.

Milfort, 46, and Griffin, 48, were stationed at the Police Force Garage when nearly 200 gallons of fuel went missing on November 12, 2010.

At the trial in September, both men were found guilty of stealing 199 gallons of gasoline with a total value of $788.

According to a probation report that was submitted at the sentencing hearing, Milfort and Griffin were described as good police officers with no other convictions. Both men were veteran officers who served around 30 years on the force.

The court also heard that the men attended church regularly and were family men.

However, prosecutor Erica Kemp argued that both men violated the oath they took as police officers.

Justice Longley based his decision on the fact that both officers provided exemplary service and were of exemplary character. He said they had already served time in prison awaiting sentencing.

Milfort and Griffin were represented by Dawson Malone of Callenders and Co, and K Brian Hanna, respectively.