Bail amount reduced for lottery scam accused

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:A St James man, who was reportedly held with a number of papers purportedly connected to the illicit lottery scam, had his bail amount reduced when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday

Richard Danville, who is of a Norwood address in St James, is charged with unlawful possession of property. He was offered bail in the sum of $200,000 and his case was set for mention on January 16, 2014.

The court was told that sometime in early December, Danville was reportedly held by police officers along Orange Street in Montego Bay with several lead sheets containing overseas contact information .

Attorney-at-law Chumu Parris, who represented Danville, told presiding magistrate Natalie Hart-Hines that the defendant had previously been offered bail in the sum of $400,000 but that he had been unable to take up the offer.

"He (Danville) was offered bail, but his family members are somewhat destitute," said Parris, who asked for the bail sum to be reduced.

"I will reduce it to $200,000, with three sureties, and he will report to the Montego Hills Police Station every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.," Hart-Hines said.

The prosecution said that one statement was outstanding from its case-file, but the confiscated items were in custody.

"I will put the case for the middle of January, the 16 of January," said Hart-Hines.