When St Joseph resident Jason McDonald Phillips presented a forge cheque to a teller at Republic Bank Barbados Limited three years ago he received “20 hard $100 bills” in return.
Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney gave the evidence today as she read the facts of three fraud cases following guilty pleas from Phillips, of Suriname Road, Horse Hill, St Joseph.
The 38-year-old man admitted before Madam Justice Pamela Beckles in the No. 5 Supreme Court to uttering a forge cheque on June 8, 2017 with intent to defraud the mentioned bank of $2,000 and obtaining the said amount for the bank. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering in that between June 8 and November 14, 2017 he disposed of the amount being the proceeds of crime.
Prosecutor Delaney said the owner of Hunte’s Nurseries Ltd located in St John realised that he had misplaced one of his cheque books in June 2017. After searching for it with no luck he went to the bank’s Broad Street branch and made a check of his financial history only to discover a transaction which he said he knew nothing about. The matter was reported to police and the necessary investigations were conducted leading to Phillips’ arrest.
Under questioning the now convicted man told lawmen he received the cheque from a man named Edwards who he knew from prison for a “long time”.
He said he went to the bank got the “20 hard $100 bills” from the teller while Edwards stayed outside. On his exit Edwards gave him $600 after informing him that he could not give him half of the amount as he had other people dealing with.
Phillips who has 24 prior convictions including assault, theft and burglary will return to court on November 11 when a report on his time spent on remand at HMP Dodds and a presentencing report will be read to the court.
