Home help faces nearly 100 fraud charges, bailed

A fraud investigation has landed a home help/auxiliary nurse before the courts on 97 counts of obtaining money from a senior couple’s chequing account over several months.

Lashanna Monisa Bowman, 33, a Guyanese national who resides in Howell’s Cross Road, Ivy pleaded not guilty to all charges when she appeared before Magistrate Angela Knight with her attorney Safiya Moore.

Bowman is accused of dishonestly obtaining funds from two chequing accounts in the names of Phyllis and Eric Clarke with intent to permanently deprive them by deception by falsely representing that she was in lawful possession of a Republic Bank Visa debit Card — one in the name of Eric Clarke and the other in Phyllis Clarke’s name —and had lawful authority to use the cards. The amounts on the card ranged from as low as $14.84 to $3 592.05. The offences were allegedly committed in March, May, June, July, and up to August 4, totalling over $45 000.

As the charges were read one by one by the magistrate, officers from the Fraud Department including Detective Constable Troy Mason were present in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court.

There was one charge in March, nine charges in April including amounts of $532.59, $678.69, $816.06, and $772.25; 18 counts in May including amounts of $819.43, $844.71, $764.80, and $664.62; another 26 charges in June with the amounts of $1 092.05, $50, $917.46 and $17.69. In July – 41 counts with amounts of $1 198.13, $1 057.59, $3 592.05, $35.17 and $1 532.99; and two charges in August, one for $80.46 and the other for $367.09.

After the charges were read, police prosecutor PC Ralph Rollock put forward no objections to bail. He, however, asked that the accused report to a police station twice a week and that her passport be kept with the court.

Bowman now has to report to the District ‘A’ Police Station every Tuesday and Saturday before noon with identification. Her travel document was also surrendered.

The accused home helper secured the $8 000 bail offered with one surety.

The case against her is to continue on December 19.