Two serving members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force have secured conditional bail after entering not guilty pleas to charges that they extorted $600 from a United States traveler visiting the Caribbean nation. The case stems from an incident that began when American tourist Erick Mondelo was found in possession of suspected illicit drugs while aboard a cruise ship operating in Bahamian waters. Following the discovery, Mondelo was transferred into the custody of local law enforcement for processing, prosecutors allege.
According to official court documents filed by prosecutors, the two accused officers — 23-year-old Breanna Miller, a resident of Cox Way on East Street, and 27-year-old Felton Turner, who lives on Sears Road — allegedly struck an unlawful deal with Mondelo. The pair are accused of demanding and accepting a $600 cash payment from the tourist in exchange for dropping criminal proceedings against him related to the suspected drug find.
The alleged corrupt arrangement only came to the attention of senior authorities after Mondelo submitted a formal complaint about the officers’ conduct. That complaint triggered an internal investigation by police oversight officials, which ultimately led to the filing of criminal extortion charges against both Miller and Turner.
During their initial court appearance before Magistrate Abigail Farrington, both defendants formally denied the extortion charges brought against them. Turner is being represented by defense attorney Maria Daxon, while Kelsie Munroe serves as legal counsel for Miller. Magistrate Farrington granted bail to each defendant set at $5,000, requiring that each secure one to two financially responsible sureties to guarantee their release.
As additional conditions of their pre-trial release, Miller has been ordered to check in and sign the attendance log at the East Street South Police Station on the final Sunday of each calendar month. Turner faces an identical requirement, though he must report to the Central Police Station for his monthly check-ins. Both officers are scheduled to reappear in court on September 15, when their formal trial on the extortion charges will get underway.