Ireland American woman sentenced to five years over €260,000 cannabis brought into Dublin Airport
Tamia Forbes, a 23-year-old American woman from Charlotte, North Carolina, was stopped at customs at Dublin Airport after arriving on flights from the US via Zurich with a locked suitcase holding 27 vacuum packs of cannabis valued at €260,000. The offence occurred on 23 December 2023. She pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply, and she said she had been asked to bring them into Ireland after falling into financial difficulties and believed cannabis was legal here. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Pauline Codd sentenced her to five years with the final two and a half years suspended, on condition that she leave the jurisdiction within three weeks of release, as reported on 17 June 2024.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced17 Jun
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Tamia Forbes is a 23-year-old American woman.
- Her luggage contained 27 vacuum packs of cannabis valued at €260,000.
- Where
- She is from Calvert Street, Charlotte, North Carolina.
- She arrived at Dublin Airport on flights from the US via Zurich.
- When
- The offence occurred on 23 December 2023.
- Cause
- She said she had been asked to bring the drugs into Ireland after falling into financial difficulties.
- Other details
- She said she believed cannabis was legal in Ireland.
- She has no previous convictions, and mitigation cited her youth, guilty plea, testimonials and character.
- She said she was shot the previous June, had worked as a hairdresser and became unemployed, took on a parental role for her younger sibling at a young age, and has had issues with cannabis use.
- Investigation
- She was stopped at customs, and she said the suitcase was locked and she had no access to it.
- Charges
- She pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply at Dublin Airport.
- In court
- Judge Pauline Codd passed sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
- Sentence
- The presumptive mandatory minimum sentence for the offence is 10 years, and the article reports a headline sentence of eight years.
- She was sentenced to five years, with the final two and a half years suspended.
- A condition of the sentence is that she leave the jurisdiction within three weeks of release.
20 statements extracted from the articles
- whatTamia Forbes is 23 years old (irishtimes.com)
- whatHer luggage contained 27 vacuum packs of cannabis valued at €260,000 (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe said she had been asked to bring the drugs into Ireland (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe believed cannabis was legal in Ireland (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe suitcase was locked and she had no access to it (irishtimes.com)
- whereShe is from Calvert Street, Charlotte, North Carolina (irishtimes.com)
- whereShe arrived at Dublin Airport on flights from the US via Zurich (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe offence occurred on 23 December 2023 (irishtimes.com)
- causeShe fell into financial difficulties (irishtimes.com)
- investigationShe was stopped at customs (irishtimes.com)
- chargeShe pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Dublin Airport (irishtimes.com)
- courtJudge Pauline Codd passed sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe presumptive mandatory minimum sentence for the offence is 10 years (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceShe was sentenced to five years with the final two and a half years suspended (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceA condition of the sentence is that she leave the jurisdiction within three weeks of release (irishtimes.com)
- otherShe has no previous convictions (irishtimes.com)
- otherShe gave an account of having been shot the previous June (irishtimes.com)
- otherShe had to step in as an effective parent to her younger sibling at a young age (irishtimes.com)
- otherShe had been working as a hairdresser but was unemployed after being shot (irishtimes.com)
- otherShe had issues with the use and abuse of cannabis (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 17 Jun2024American woman who brought cannabis worth €260,000 into Dublin Airport thought it was legal here, court hears
Reports the sentencing of Tamia Forbes, including the judge's reasoning, mitigation factors (youth, guilty plea, testimonials, character), the headline sentence of eight years reduced to five with two and a half years suspended, and the condition that she leave the jurisdiction within three weeks of release.
convicted, Tamia Forbes, 23, female, American, named, non-irishTamia Forbes