Complainant Insists Portmore Car Salesman Still Owes Her After $1M Fraud Repayment

One complainant in a fraud prosecution against a Portmore car salesman has informed the court that a restitution sum topping $1 million does not settle what she says Adrian Cope still owes her. Cope faces allegations that he accepted payment for motor vehicles he never handed over to buyers.

The disagreement came up when Cope appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court on Tuesday to face counts of fraudulent conversion, breaches of the Consumer Protection Act, and deceptive conduct. Senior Parish Court Judge Desiree Alleyne was told that several people who had lodged complaints had already received money back. One complainant was given $400,000 and another $300,000; in each instance the matter was disposed of at the request of the person involved.

A different complainant told the judge that even though $1,035,000 had been returned to her, she believes Cope remains liable for additional amounts. Defence counsel Odane Marston countered that his client is responsible for only the $1,035,000 credited directly to Cope's account. Marston added that any other financial understandings between the parties were informal and should be handled outside the criminal proceedings, as a civil dispute.

The court referred the stand-off to Restorative Justice, with both sides set to return to the St Catherine Parish Court on September 15, 2026. Cope, who was previously released on $700,000 bail, also saw his bail-reporting obligations lifted during Tuesday's appearance.

According to prosecutors, between June 9, 2020, and December 16, 2025, Cope collected in excess of $3 million from six complainants as payment for vehicles that were never delivered. When repeated efforts to get the money back reportedly failed, the complaints were brought to the police. An inquiry by the Portmore Criminal Investigation Branch resulted in Cope's arrest and the filing of the charges he now answers.