[COURTHOUSE]:::MAN ON $IM FRAUD CHARGE JAILED FOR 12 MONTHS

No. 64 Wednesday, March 10, 2010
A 29 year-old man was jailed for 12 months after he allegedly stole over $1 million from the bank account of a prominent Montego Bay motor vehicle company to which he was employed.

    Damion Connell of Bull Bay, St. Andrew pleaded guilty to 15 counts of simple larceny.
Sentence was handed down by Resident Magistrate Vivienne Harris in the Montego Bay RM Court on Monday, March 8.
    In mitigation, Connell's attorney requested a suspended sentence but the magistrate said she could not impose such sentence as Connell was not in a position to make restitution.
    The magistrate also took into account the victims who have been defrauded and the fact that Connell was in a position of trust.
    Connell, who was employed to the company in December 2007 as a senior accounting clerk, was responsible for the preparation of the payroll and was given a password that was unique to himself, which would allow him access to the company's bank account.
    After Connell resigned the job in February 2008, an audit was carried out and a series of unauthorized withdrawals amounting to $4.1 million was detected.
    Investigations also revealed that Connell had used the access code to transfer funds to the accounts of other persons not affiliated with the company.
    He was picked up at a night club outside of the parish and subsequently charged.
    However, when he was brought before the court, the prosecution could only indict him for over $1 million as there was insufficient evidence linking him to the remaining $3 million.