St James Fraud Accused Says Jail Custody Explains Bank Account Use

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A man from St James who is before the court over an alleged overseas employment racket insisted on Wednesday that he does not know how his bank information was used while he has been locked up for close to a year.

DeCarlos Christie appeared in the St James Parish Court before Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, where he is answering to a charge of conspiracy to defraud. The allegation is that three women lost money through a scheme that purported to arrange job opportunities overseas.

According to what was outlined in court, the first complainant met a man in January who was said to be arranging placements abroad. She was later given a JN Bank account number connected to Christie and paid $52,000 into it.

A second complainant allegedly sent $205,000 by direct deposit for the processing of a medical examination, police record, and other paperwork said to be needed for the overseas placement programme. A third complainant also put $10,000 into the same account.

When the promised opportunities did not come through, the first complainant reportedly told her friends she suspected the arrangement was fraudulent. The three women then took the matter to the Area One Fraud Squad, after which Christie was charged.

Two of the three complainants attended court on Wednesday.

Christie told the court during the hearing that he has been held at the Brown’s Town Police Station since July of last year.

The investigating officer said that after Christie was detained on unrelated matters, his debit card and other personal papers were given to his brother, whom investigators believe is the principal suspect. The officer said a witness statement from the police records that the items were handed over to the brother on Christie’s instruction.

The officer also told the court that the matters for which Christie was first detained are not connected to fraud.

The clerk said the police case is that Christie and his brother acted together, with Christie making his banking details available to the brother, who then passed them on to people seeking access to the overseas employment programme.

Judge Fairclough-Hylton asked whether Christie was able to operate the bank account while he was in custody. The clerk said he was not.

The judge then asked why the charge was laid against Christie rather than his brother. The investigating officer answered that attempts had been made to find the brother, but those efforts had not succeeded.

Judge Fairclough-Hylton ordered the clerk to examine the file again and fixed the case for case management on June 24. Christie was remanded.

Speaking from the dock, Christie denied wrongdoing. “Your Honour, mi mek sure mi share the information with the police. Since mi come inna custody, mi never allow mi documents dem fi stay a di station because mi never want to lose dem. So, whatever my brother is out there doing with dem, I don’t know. When di police came to mi and say he was going to charge mi, I was very frightened. So, mi just explain everything to him and tell him seh from di day dem hold on to mi, di 13th of July, my brother came and pick up mi documents dem. Mi nuh know what him out deh a do with dem,” he said.

He continued: “Your honour, mi have five pikney weh mi a live for and mi naah pay fi what mi no eat and drink and mi naah spend no time fi anybody. So, mi nuh hide nuh information from di police. Even now, mi deh yah, mi feel like mi a go drop dung because mi sick,” Christie said before he was taken from the prisoner’s dock.

The judge later asked whether Christie had any bail offer in St Ann. The investigating officer said there was no bail offer and that Christie remained in custody on those charges until October 10.

Christie was then escorted out of the courtroom and into the holding area.