A magistrate on Monday ordered three men and a woman to repay the $24,102.47 that they received in unemployment benefits to avoid spending six months in jail.
Brian Cooper, Quentin Rahming, Santoine Major and Kaylisa Miller on Monday, September 28 admitted to fraudulently obtaining relief funds for people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
According to prosecutors, they were recruited to participate in massive scam that defrauded the government fund out of $123,000.
Although they weren’t entitled to payments, Cooper and Rahming each received cheques for $4,256.89. Major received a cheque for $4,125 and Miller got a cheque for $3,081.80.
After cashing the cheques, they gave the money to the unidentified recruiter, who gave them $300 to $500 for themselves, the prosecutor said.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes warned the crooks that they’d go to prison for six months if they don’t reimburse the government by October 30.
NIB manager Dino Dean allegedly orchestrated the fraudulent scheme.
Dean allegedly approved the bogus unemployment claims by making false entries in NIB’s V3 system.
Dean faced charges of forgery, falsification of accounts, money laundering, fraud by false pretenses, and conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretenses and was denied bail.
Other alleged participants in the scheme are: Leroy Poitier, Latoya Neely, Ashanique Neely, Gary LaFleur, Lakeisha Tucker, Gillian Thurston, Ray Rigby, Thio Rolle, Gadville Woodside, Jermaine Evans and Takia Smith.
They entered not guilty pleas to charges of fraud by false pretenses and money laundering and were denied bail.
However, they can apply for bail in the Supreme Court.
Magistrate Forbes will begin the trial on February 9.
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