Barber Remanded On Drug Charges After 59.5lbs Of Weed Found in Luggage

A man said to be both a barber and a pastor has been remanded into custody after a court determined he posed a flight risk following his arrest on a series of drug trafficking charges.

Dean Robert Gould, 54, appeared before the court where his attorney Lawrence Daniel indicated his client works as a barber, though official reports suggest he is also a pastor.

The court was not satisfied that Gould had demonstrated sufficient ties to Antigua and Barbuda, noting he holds only a United States passport and was unable to prove his claimed address at Cedar Grove. He is to return to court on June 29 with proof of address.

Gould is accused of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, unlawful possession of cannabis, importation of cannabis, possession with intent to transfer, and drug trafficking.

The charges stem from his arrival at VC Bird International Airport on June 13 aboard American Airlines Flight AA2579. A police K9 unit alerted officers to two black duffle bags in his possession, leading to a search that uncovered 60 parcels of a greenish, bushy vegetable matter believed to be cannabis.

The packages had been wrapped in green plastic bags and tissue paper, covered in white cloth, and buried beneath clothing and footwear at the bottom of the luggage.

The suspected cannabis weighed approximately 59.5 pounds and carries an estimated street value of EC$357,000.