Lottery scam accused gets a new date

• Lottery scam accused gets a new date

A Westmoreland construction worker, who is accused of being involved in the illicit lottery scam, has had his bail extended until December 17 when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Javain Chambers, 19, of Little London in Westmoreland, was offered bail in the sum of $200,000 when he appeared in court on September 5, albeit at the exact charge against him was not outlined.

According to reports, Chambers arrest stems from a complaint received by the United States Department of Homeland Security that two elderly US citizens had reportedly sent sums of money amounting to US$1,142 (J$101,967.12) and US$5,307 (J$473,852.48) to Jamaica after being conned into believing they had won a multimillion-dollar lottery jackpot.

Subsequent investigations carried out by the US Homeland Security and the Jamaican police implicated Chambers. He was arrested on Wednesday, August 29. At the time of his arrest, he said he was unaware of the allegations against him and denied he was a 'scammer'.

When the case was called up in court on Monday, it was revealed that the case file was incomplete and that the investigating officer was absent. Interestingly, a subpoena had been filed in the previous court sitting for the arresting officer, who was also a no show on that occasion.

In setting the new court date, presiding magistrate Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small ordered that steps should be taken to have the officer present on that date.

• Vendor fined for ganja possession

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

A St James woman, who was found with one and a half pounds of ganja stashed away in her house, was fined a combined total of $7,200 when she appeared for sentencing in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court last Friday.

Alice Allen, a 43-year-old clothes vendor of Rose Heights, in St James, had pleaded guilty to possession of and dealing in ganja in a previous court appearance. A male companion, who was arrested alongside Allen, had pleaded not guilty.

Reports are that, at approximately 6:20 a.m. on Thursday, October 11, a police team conducted an operation in the Rose Heights area and during the operation, Allen's house was searched and a bag with vegetable matter resembling ganja was found stashed away.

Allen and a male companion, who was at home with her at the time, were cautioned about the contents of the bag. They were subsequently arrested and charged.

In court on Friday, the male accused was released by the court after a no-evidence motion was made on his behalf. However, Allen came in for a grilling from Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small, prior to being fined.

"What were you doing with the ganja?" RM Wong-Small asked Allen, who seemed ready to face the consequence of her actions.

"I sell clothes in the market and a man in the market say he could sell it (the ganja) to me," Allen told the court.

"So you buy the whole one-and-a-half pounds of ganja," RM Wong-Small said, looking intensely at Allen.

With Allen seemingly quite composed, the judge proceeded to hand down her sentence, which was over and done within a few seconds.

"For possession of ganja, you are fined $2,400 or 30 days imprisonment; for dealing in ganja, $4,800 or 30 days, the judge stated. "Your fingerprints will also be taken."