St Catherine, Jamaica – A St Catherine woman has been charged by law enforcement officers after allegedly deceiving a businessman into handing over nearly $2 million for the purchase of a property.
Shanna-Marie Maragh, 35, of Kavita Crescent, Spanish Town, St Catherine, has been charged with obtaining money by false pretense and fraudulent conversion.
The events took place between March and September 2023 in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
According to the Spanish Town Police, Maragh, pretending to be a secretary for a construction company, reportedly collected $1,900,000 from a businessman between Thursday, March 7, and Thursday, April 13, 2023, for the purchase of a property on his behalf but did not follow through.
Another incident of a similar nature allegedly occurred between March and September of 2023, where she sold properties totaling $1,500,000 and $2,500,000 to two men.
Upon unsuccessful attempts to obtain the title for the properties and to secure refunds, the complainants brought the failed transactions to the attention of the police.
Following an investigation, Maragh was arrested by the police and charged after a question-and-answer session.
Her court date is pending.
A woman who allegedly operated fake overseas work and travel programs is charged.
A woman from Portmore, St Catherine, stands accused of orchestrating a fraudulent overseas work and travel scheme and has been apprehended by the police after reportedly scamming four women out of more than J$2 million.
The accused, identified as Shereca Beecher, also known as ‘Sher,’ aged 38 and residing in Portmore, St Catherine, faces four charges of obtaining money by false pretense.
According to the Hunts Bay police report, between January and May 2023, Beecher assured the four complainants that she could secure their placements in a work and travel program in the United States.
In total, the women entrusted Beecher with over $2,175,000 to initiate the process. However, as Beecher consistently failed to fulfill her commitments, the complainants grew suspicious and reported the incident to the authorities.
Subsequently, Beecher was apprehended, identified, and formally charged. Her court appearance is pending.
An Elderly Man from St Catherine Faces Serious Charges for Alleged Fraud.
A 64-year-old man from St Catherine, Jamaica, named Jerome Walters, has been hit with multiple charges after being accused of taking $148,000 from a woman under false pretenses. Walters, the director of Sea Circle in Portmore, has been charged with fraudulent conversion and obtaining money through false means.
It is alleged that between November and December 2023, Walters collected the sum of money from the woman for registration in an overseas work program that never materialized. Despite paying the amount, the woman was left without an indication of when she could commence work. After seeking a refund and receiving no response, she reported the incident to the police.
Following his arrest on Thursday, Walters underwent a question-and-answer session and was subsequently charged. He is set to appear in the St Catherine Parish Court on Friday, February 23, 2024.
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