Still no sign of accused; surety to forfeit $10,000

Alleged fraudster Cleve Anderson Hoyte has left his surety at the mercy of the court.

The woman, who is reportedly in a relationship with the chauffeur from Brighton, St George and who stood as a $15,000 surety for him, has been told that she must forfeit $10,000 of the bail sum.

She must return to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court in two weeks time – July 2 – to give an update to Magistrate Douglas Frederick. The surety now has a six-month prison sentence hanging over her head if she is unable to pay the amount.

Magistrate Douglas Frederick made the order today after the woman spent the night on remand, at the Dodds, St Philip facility where she was placed under quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She described the experience as “not good”.

Douglas told the surety, “If he is home in bed and cannot make it we will leave here and go to him. The court can move or we can send transportation for him. Fifteen thousand dollars is a lot of money. If he is not here call him.”

She was then given another opportunity to contact Hoyte and get him to come to the court. But the number she gave to court officials went unanswered.

“Many times he brought his clothes for me to press. He said he went to court and you dismiss some of the cases so I thought he was going,” said the surety who revealed that she had seen Hoyte three days ago.

She stood surety for the accused on two charges. One related to theft of $39,750 cash from Prophet Fresh Fruit and Variety Limited between March 26, 2017 and April 19, 2017 and the second occurring on April 20, 2016, for allegedly stealing $5,000 belonging to the same company.

Hoyte also has eight other criminal matters from 2014 pending in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court. Those offences have another surety. He also has matters in another jurisdiction which allege that he impersonated a prison officer and an agent from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

However, the accused has not attended hearings for over a year and has also filed numerous sick certificates with the courts.

“He calling about and trying to get people to bring papers to the court but he is not coming,” Frederick said to the woman who maintained that she did not want to be a surety anymore.

He added: “Come back and tell me how much you have in two weeks and we will move from there. A warrant is still out for the accused.”