Convicted fraudster Jerome Omar Waterman will have to serve an additional 1 053 days in prison after pleading guilty to 20 counts of forgery, criminal deception, theft, and related offences, committed between 2017 and 2020.
Justice Pamela Beckles handed down the sentence in the No. 5 Supreme Court, as she cited the detrimental impact of such crimes on public trust and financial institutions.
“Crimes of forgery and theft damage trust between individuals, businesses and financial institutions, making people more suspicious and less willing to engage in transactions. It is for these reasons that Parliament has presented stiff penalties for the offence for which you have pleaded guilty,” Justice Beckles told the Bannisters Land, Martindales Road, St Michael resident.
Waterman had admitted that:
On June 19, 2017, he forged and uttered a bill of exchange purporting to be an RBC Limited cheque made payable to Ryan Ray Clark in the sum of $1 100, with intent to defraud Fusionz Boutique, knowing the same to be forged and; that he obtained one pair of shoes valued $220 and $880 in cash from Fusionz Boutique by virtue of a forged RBC Limited cheque made payable to Clark, in the sum of $1 100.
On October 21, 2017, with intent to defraud, he forged and uttered bills of exchange purporting to be RBC Limited cheques made payable to Nassco Limited, in the sum of $2 494.20 and $1 503.83, knowing the same to be forged; that he obtained from car parts in the value of $2 494.20 and $1 503.83 by virtue of forged RBC Bank cheques, knowing the same to be forged; that he dishonestly obtained the car parts by uttering the forged bills of exchange, which he presented as good and valid for the payment of the sum.
On December 23, 2017, he forged and uttered a bill of exchange purporting to be a RBC Limited cheque made payable to Bruce Holder, in the sum of $1 200 with intent to defraud Fusionz Boutique, knowing the same to be forged and; that he endeavoured to obtain one pair of shoes valued $220, three pairs of slippers valued at $225 and $775 in cash from Fusionz Boutique by virtue of a forged RBC Limited cheque made payable to Holder in the sum of $1 200.
On that same day, not being in his place of abode, he had with him a Barbados identification card bearing the name of Bruce Holder, for use in the course of or in connection with theft, and that he attempted to dishonestly obtain from Fusionz Boutique a pair of shoes, three pairs of slippers and $755 in cash by virtue of a forged instrument purporting to be a RBC Royal Bank of Canada cheque payable to Holder for the sum of $1 200, knowing the same to be forged.
On May 28, 2018, with intent to defraud, uttered a certain forged bill of exchange to Welches Road Post Office, purporting to be a CIBC First Caribbean International Bank Limited cheque payable to Omar Alex Harris, in the sum of $ 1 436.66, drawn on the account of the National Insurance Benefit Payment Scheme, knowing the same to be forged, and endeavoured to obtain the same sum from the post office by a forged instrument.
On June 10, 2020, he stole two weed whackers, two pressure washers, and one chainsaw, valued at $11 543.78, belonging to Williams Equipment Limited.
On June 30, 2020, he stole two weed whackers, two chain saws, and one welder, worth $11 542, belonging to Williams Equipment Limited.
Justice Beckles ruled that the custodial threshold had been reached, citing aggravating factors such as the number of offences, the commission of the offences for financial gain, the timeframe over which they occurred, the degree of planning, and the inconvenience and losses suffered by affected businesses.
She indicated starting points for the offences, ranging from four to 10 years, and deducted three years from each for the convicted man’s early guilty plea, his acceptance of responsibility, expressions of remorse, and a favourable pre-sentence report, which assessed him as a low risk of reoffending.
After accounting for his early guilty plea and 650 days spent on remand, Justice Beckles sentenced Waterman to 1 053 days for each count of forging and uttering, 566 days for each count of obtaining and endeavouring, a similar 566 days for each of the thefts, and 80 days for the criminal deception counts.
The sentences will run concurrently.
Waterman was deemed to have served the time for going equipped.
Justice Beckles also ordered him to enrol in any educational, vocational or counselling programmes while at Dodds Prison to help him become “a productive member of society” after his release.
State Counsel Tito Holder appeared on behalf of Senior State Counsel Kevin Forde, who prosecuted the matter, while Waterman was represented by Senior Counsel Angella Mitchell-Gittens.
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