Man remanded for trying to travel on forged passport

WESTERN BUREAU:A St James man who admitted to using a forged British passport in an effort to gain entry into Canada was remanded after he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

Thirty-nine-year-old Christopher Abrahams was remanded for sentencing at a later date after he pleaded guilty to uttering a forged document.

The court was told that on January 18, Abrahams attempted to board a flight to Canada using a British passport in the name Leroy Davis. However, he was arrested after irregularities were found with the passport.

"Why did you do that, sir?" presiding magistrate Carolyn Tie asked Abrahams.

"I just wanted to leave the country and get a job because I've been trying to make ends meet for five years now. A friend of mine had sent the passport to me," said Abrahams.

second offence

"Have you ever got in trouble with the police before?" asked Tie.

"In America, on a drug-related charge for cannabis. I ended up on two years' probation," said Abrahams.

Clerk of the Court Natalie Malcolm told Tie that there was uncertainty surrounding Abrahams' identity.

"Just to point out to the court the prosecution is not certain of his identity. He was deported from the United States in 2005, and he had said to the police that he paid $50,000 to a man in the United States for the passport," said Malcolm.

Tie subsequently ordered that Abrahams be remanded.

- C. T.