The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 35-year-old man was sentenced to 16 months in prison yesterday after he admitted to defrauding three men by depositing empty envelopes to their bank accounts through ATM transactions to deceitfully remove cash from their accounts.

Jackson Colebrooke also known as “John Doe” appeared before Magistrate Sandradee Gardiner charged with three counts of fraud by false pretences, three counts of attempted fraud by false pretences and two counts of deceiving a public officer.

He pleaded guilty to all of the charges and was sentenced to one year and four months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

Colebrooke is accused of fraudulently obtaining $500 cash from Treyvaneo Carey’s Royal Bank of Canada account on May 25. He was also accused of attempting to obtain $600 cash from RBC’s Carmichael Road branch that same day. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two months at BDCS for count one and one year at the correctional facility for count two.

Prosecutor Kenny Thompson said Mr Carey was at RBC Carmichael conducting an ATM transaction when Colebrooke approached him and asked him if he could deposit a cheque for him. Colebrooke then deposited an envelope into the ATM machine using Mr Carey’s account before withdrawing $500 and running away. Sgt McKenzie said a short time later, Mr Carey received a call from RBC personnel informing him that a $600 transaction on his account was reversed since the envelope deposited to his account was empty.

According to the prosecution, Colebrooke committed the same crime 10 days prior when he fraudulently obtained $480 from Doyle Forbes’ RBC account on May 15. The prosecution said Colebrooke attempted to obtain $600 from RBC’s Carmichael Road branch that same day.

After pleading guilty to these offences, Colebrooke was sentenced to two months in prison for count one and one year at BDCS for count two.

Sgt Thompson said Mr Forbes was at the bank when he was approached by a short, dark-skinned man who asked for help. He said the man then asked Mr Forbes if he could deposit a cheque on his account for him, before withdrawing $480 and giving Mr Forbes $50.

Colebrooke is further accused of obtaining another $550 from Randal Richardson’s RBC account by means of false pretences on June 22. The prosecution said he attempted to obtain $600 from RBC Prince Charles that same day. The court heard that Mr Richardson was at RBC Prince Charles when Colebrooke approached him and asked him if he could deposit a cheque to his account. At the time, Colebrooke told Mr Richardson that he had two cheques, but only one envelope was at the ATM machine. Sgt McKenzie said when Mr Richardson allowed Colebrooke to use his account, he withdrew $550 and gave Mr Richardson $50 before leaving. As a result of the complaints filed, an investigation was launched. This led to Colebrooke’s arrest, who told police his name was Tavarus Jackson when he was first taken into custody.

During an interview with police, he admitted to all of the offences and was subsequently charged.

Yesterday, Colebrooke pleaded guilty to the last four charges and was sentenced 16 months in prison for fraud and attempted fraud and one month each for deceiving two police officers. All of his sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

When given an opportunity to speak during the hearing, Colebrooke begged the magistrate for leniency and claimed that he was willing to pay back everyone he defrauded “within a timeframe”.

“I apologise for what I’ve done to those people,” he said.

In response, Magistrate Gardiner told Colebrooke that she found it “egregious” that he deceived people who were trying to assist him and noted that in their efforts to help him, the men were deprived of their hard-earned money. She also noted that the defendant was convicted of four counts of fraud by false pretences in February and stated that she did not believe he learnt his lesson.

Magistrate Gardiner added that Colebrooke was a “menace to society,” and said it appeared as if he went on a crime spree because he got away with the act the first time and felt he could keep doing it.