Accused scammer offered $400,000 bail

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:A St James man, who could not properly account for the approximately J$843,591 which he had in his possession during a police raid, was offered bail when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court last Friday, January 4.

Twenty-two-year-old Mark Beckford, of a Mount Salem address in Montego Bay, is before the court facing a criminal charge of unlawful possession of property.

It is alleged that, on January 1, members of a police team conducted an operation at Crawford Street in Mount Salem. During the operation, Beckford's house was searched and US$8,900 (J$824,591) and J$19,000 were found.

Reports are that, when he was questioned, Beckford told the police that he had "dialled for the money". He was subsequently arrested and charged.

In making a bail application on behalf of Beckford, attorney-at-law Dalton Reid told the court that his client had no previous convictions. Interestingly, the prosecution offered no opposition to the defendant being given bail but asked that he be given reporting conditions.

Beckford was offered bail in the sum of $400,000 with three sureties by Resident Magistrate Sandria Wong-Small. He was instructed to report to the Mount Salem Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Additionally, the magistrate imposed a curfew order on Beckford, restricting him to his home between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. daily.

The case will be mentioned on February 8.