Seven people charged in $50 million cybercrime scheme
KINGSTON, Jamaica— The total number of persons charged in a $50 million cybercrime scheme now stands at seven.
This, after four of the five people held in a joint operation, headed by the Financial Investigations Division (FID), officers attached to the Constabulary Financial Unit (CFU), members of the Counter Terrorism & Organized Crime Investigations Branch (CTOC) and members of the St Andrew South Police Division, were formally charged following interviews in the presence of their legal representatives.
Three others were previously charged in May for their roles in the scheme.
In a statement issued Thursday, the FID said two unemployed women, both of Caladium Crescent, Kingston 11, are among those charged. They have been identified as 48-year-old Sophia Dobson and 28-year-old Racquel Morrison.
The two men charged are Jahsean Brown, an unemployed 23-year-old of Penwood Crescent, Kingston 11 and Everald McKenzie, a 25-year-old warehouse supervisor of Waltham Avenue, Kingston 11.
The other suspect is in police custody awaiting legal representation.
The four were charged with various counts of:
-Engaging in a transaction involving criminal property, contrary to section 92 (1) (a) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
-Facilitating a transaction involving criminal property, contrary to section 92 (2) of the Proceeds of Crime Act.
-Simple larceny, contrary to section 5 of the Larceny Act.
-Unauthorised access to computer data, contrary to section 3 (1) of the Cybercrimes Act.
-Conspiracy to defraud, contrary to common law.
Meanwhile, three other beneficiaries from the scheme were similarly charged in May and are currently before the courts:
They are Stashanie Smellie, a 35-year-old cashier of Sarah Street, Kingston 4; 42-year-old Kehoe Hibbert, an unemployed woman of a Myrie Avenue, Kingston address; and Timera Whyte, a 25-year-old unemployed woman of Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11.
