Woman admits to decade-old fraud charges

A Black Rock, St Michael hairdresser initially told the police and a bank manager that the cheque she had tried to cash was payment for an injury received while working at a supermarket.

Then, Latoya Roslyn Lucas said in a statement to the police that she had received that cheque moments before entering the bank from a woman in front of Cave Shepherd.

Appearing in the No. 4A Supreme Court before Madam Justice Wanda Blair, she pleaded guilty that with intent to defraud, she tried to obtain $16 420.68 from First Caribbean International Bank (FCIB) Barbados Limited via a forged cheque dated January 24, 2014, made payable to herself, knowing the same to be forged.

She also admitted to the second count that, with intent to defraud, uttered the said cheque for the same amount, dated January 24, 2014, made payable to herself, knowing it to be forged.

Senior State Counsel Joyann Catwell, who is prosecuting the case, told the court that Karen Shaefe-Bynoe, the bank manager of the Broad Street branch of FCIB, was presented with a cheque from one of the tellers for $16 420.68 payable to Lucas. Suspecting it to be fraudulent due to the paper and signatures, she reported the matter to the police. A fellow manager phoned the supermarket and was told that it had not been issued by the company.

When the police arrived, Shaefe-Bynoe went to Lucas, who was sitting, waiting for the cheque to be changed and took her to the office with the officers. The manager told them that the cheque was suspected to be fraudulent. When questioned, Lucas replied that she knew nothing about a fraudulent cheque and claimed she received it as payment after falling down and hurting an old injury while working at the supermarket during Christmas. Lucas was arrested on suspicion of presenting a forged cheque.

However, In her statement to the police, Lucas said she had received a call from a woman earlier that morning and made arrangements to get a lift to Bayville. When she met her on Black Rock Main Road, two other women, one of them a relative, were in the vehicle. She said the three of them assured her that the cheque was legal, and one informed her on how to go through the process, including what to say about being injured on the job.

Lucas said she was then handed the cheque and was dropped off in front of Cave Shepherd, Broad Street. She crossed the road and headed into the bank to a teller.

She told the police that she had not made any arrangements to collect a payment from the woman.

Senior Counsel Andrew Pilgrim is representing the now-convicted woman.

Justice Blair ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned until May 13 for pre-sentencing submissions.