Elderly Man Sentenced to Prison for Crack Pipe Possession

Seventy-two-year-old Alvin Banks will be spending the next three months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a crack pipe. Banks, a resident of Euphrates Avenue, appeared before Magistrate Ludlow Black, where he was charged with possession of utensils used for smoking drugs. According to police, officers on patrol in Taylor’s Alley observed Banks with a silver pipe in his mouth. When he saw the police, he allegedly blew smoke out and put the pipe in his pocket. A subsequent search led to the discovery of the four-inch pipe. In court, Banks, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty immediately. The magistrate expressed concern for Banks’s health and his addiction at his age. Banks admitted he has an addiction and needs help, agreeing that rehabilitation is necessary. With limited no-cost options, the court recommended the rehabilitation program at the Belize Central Prison. Banks, who has four previous drug convictions, was sentenced to three months in prison. This is his fifth such conviction.