Update | Soldier charged in connection with $47 million NCB phishing scam

The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) has charged the Jamaica Defence Force soldier who was held as part of a probe into a sophisticated phishing scam that defrauded the National Commercial Bank (NCB) of over $47 million.

Garrick Lewis, 25, is charged with acquisition of criminal property, engaging in a transaction involving criminal property, facilitating the use of criminal property and receiving stolen property.

MOCA says Garrick's suspected accomplice, 33-year-old Romemone Thompson, who is already in police custody for separate crimes, was similarly charged and returned to custody.

They are suspected to be part of a wider syndicate of criminals involved in the offence.

It is being alleged that between April and June 2022, Garrick helped to illegally access funds from a number of bank accounts via an online phishing scam.

The stolen money was subsequently transferred to various beneficiary accounts, which have since been used to withdraw the funds or further transfer them to other banking institutions.

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