Buju Banton has been known as one of the top Jamaican Reggae stars with a strong presence and a power for song. Unfortunately, it seems that the talents that had gotten him up in the spotlight won’t really be helping him much anytime soon. In what seems almost a little too cliche for that particular genre of music, this reggae star is about to be attending a bail hearing that’s scheduled for today, Wednesday, December 16th in Miami. And why exactly is Buju Banton trying to get out on bail at the moment?
For Buju Banton, it seems that even stardom can’t keep them away from the lure of illegal drugs. Banton and two other associates are charged with allegedly trying to buy a substantial amount of cocaine in Florida. Unfortunately, they tried to buy it off of an undercover police officer in Sarasota. While he was originally held in Miami Thursday of last week, he has since been transferred to Tampa, as the actual trial will be conducted there.
The crime isn’t exactly a small one, either. The federal officials have officially decided to try him with criminal conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. In layman’s terms, you’re talking about a lot of cocaine that most likely would not have been for personal use, and so the federal forces have ever intention of making sure that they have a solid case.
But what will that mean for Buju Banton himself? If convicted, it would most certainly be the end of his career as a reggae artist. He could be facing up to a maximum 20 years in prison, and even if he doesn’t get that, he will be spending a few years there at least. As for Banton’s statement on the whole thing, he’s denying the charges.
Hopefully, Banton’s career won’t be lost because of it.