It happens in a lot of families. I suspect most of us have had a family member – distant or close – that has fallen foul of the law.

It is terribly sad when it happens and I feel particularly for all members of the family.

I had heard ‘whispers’ concerning a member of the Merren family that is very close to my wife’s immediate family.

I didn’t want to believe it and I had no reason to believe it.

When the news broke on Saturday that the ‘whispers’ were correct I was aghast and deeply troubled.

Bryce Merren, son of businessman, the late Hurley Merren, and brother of Randy Merren who is the CEO of Hurley’s Entertainment – Rooster and Z99. I understood that Bryce looked after the supermarket, although Randy is also a director.

That Bryce is accused of money laundering being involved in a major drug smuggling ring is horrific.

Bryce is accused of being involved in a major conspiracy since last summer to smuggle as much as 3,000 kilos of cocaine from the US to Cayman and to launder the proceeds through businesses here and a Puerto Rican bank.

The documents posted on the OffshoreAlert website accuse Bryce of intending to use legitimate businesses in Cayman with business merchant machines to help launder the funds for the initial payment to the traffickers via an account he opened in Puerto Rico.

The CNS story on Saturday says, “Between August and December the agents and Merren were alleged to have had at least three meetings regarding the drug shipment and the movement of cash. Merren also sent a fuel pump to the agents, who he believed were the traffickers, for the gas needed during the sea smuggling venture. On 3 March the US agent claims that Merren wired $200,000 from a Cayman Bank account to a Puerto Rican account that had been opened by the undercover agents, as a down payment on the drug deal. Two days later the US agents filed the affidavit and Merren is understood to have been arrested shortly after.”

There is also another Caymanian involved and we understand our local police are also conducting investigations in connection with the matter.

CNS have also reported Bryce was due to appear on Monday (17) in Cayman’s Magistrate Court on serious traffic related charges but as he has been arrested in Puerto Rico and is currently being held at the Guaynabo jail,  he is unlikely to keep that appointment.

Before one judges, Bryce is still innocent and it happens in a lot of families, even the best.