Accused fraudster to return to court on October 23

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

A 21-year-old woman accused of stealing US$36,500 (J$3.18 million) from her Montego Freezone employer will return to court in October as a statement is still outstanding from the prosecution's case file.

Britanny Lawson of Kingston Drive in Cornwall Courts, Montego Bay, had entered a not guilty plea to fraud at her January 18 appearance in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court.

When the matter was mentioned on Monday, the prosecution indicated that a statement from a mobile service provider had not yet been added to the case file.

The court was also told that an analysis is to be done on a number of Internet protocol addresses for computers related to the case.

Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small extended Lawson's J$300,000 bail to October 23.

Allegations are that between December 12, 2011, and January 4, 2012, Lawson used a company password to make 14 unauthorised wire transfers, amounting to US$36,500, from her employers' account.

On January 4, the discrepancies were discovered and reported to the police, and subsequent investigations led to Lawson's arrest and subsequent charges on January 10.