The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A PRE-SCHOOL teacher and her cousin were charged in Magistrate’s Court charged with attempting last week to defraud two Super Value stores with fraudulent food store stamps.

Tromar Sweeting, 26, and Bendra Thompson, 25, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt yesterday charged with a number of fraud related offences.

Sweeting was charged with being in possession of 101 fake Quality Stamps and uttering the same on June 3. She was further charged with obtaining an assortment of groceries from Super Value valued at $100.87 on that same day.

Thompson was charged with being in possession of 138 fake Quality Stamps and uttering the same on June 4. The prosecution said Thompson was also found with 110 more fraudulent stamps that same day.

Both of the defendants were further charged with attempted fraud by false pretences for obtaining $105.19 worth of groceries from Super Value after they pretended that the 138 fraudulent Quality Stamps they presented to the cashier were valid.

After pleading guilty to the charges, the women were placed on 12 months’ probation for each count. If they fail to comply with the conditions of their release, they will spend three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. All of the sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Sweeting and Thompson were also fined $500 for attempting to defraud Super Value. They were given two weeks to pay the fine.

Prosecutor Samantha Miah said on June 4, Losie Smith, a loss prevention manager at Super Value, came to the Grove Police Station to report that around 4.30pm the day before, a female purchased $100.87 worth of groceries at Super Value East Street South with 101 fraudulent stamp cards. Sgt Miah also said another Super Value employee came to the Grove Police Station on June 4 to report that sometime that morning, two females attempted to buy $105.19 worth of groceries at Super Value Robinson Road with fraudulent stamps.

He said the women were also found with an additional 110 stamp cards. The reports led to the arrest of Sweeting and Thompson. During an interview with police on June 6, Sweeting said that she was unaware that the stamps were fraudulent and claimed that she had got them from a man named Corderro Rolle who was dating her cousin Bendra Thompson.