The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

THE manager of the National Insurance Board’s Andros branch who yesterday denied defrauding the organisation of tens of thousands of dollars was denied bail ahead of his trial.

He was arraigned alongside 14 more individuals who were charged with fraud related offences connected to the agency’s unemployment benefit programme.

Three of them who pleaded guilty were ordered to pay back the money they defrauded before the end of next month.

Dion Dean, 40, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged with several counts of forgery, conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering, and falsification of accounts.

In the first instance, Dean was charged alongside Leroy Poitier, 50, Latoya Neely, 44, Ashanique Neely, 25, Gary Lafleur, 51, and Shevyonne Neely.

The prosecution alleged the group conspired to commit fraud by false pretences sometime between June 23 and July 14 of this year.

It is alleged Dean forged a NIB claim for an unemployment benefit form bearing the name Darin Bethel on June 23. It is also claimed he forged four other fraudulent forms bearing the name of his co-defendants and another person named Kacey Duncombe on that same date.

Dean was also charged with falsification of accounts after the prosecution argued he entered fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits in the NIB’S V3 system for the named individuals that same day.

Dean and Latoya Neely were also accused of obtaining $3,574.48 from NIB’s short-term benefit and assistance account held at the Royal Bank of Canada by means of false pretences on July 6. Dean and Lafleur were further accused of fraudulently obtaining another $4,225.52 from NIB’s bank account on July 7. The prosecution alleged Dean and Shevyonne Neely also received $3,574.48 from the same account on July 8, while Dean and Poitier were accused of fraudulently obtaining $2,962.70 from NIB’s RBC account on July 14.

In this specific case, Dean was charged with another count of fraud by false pretences as well as five counts of money laundering acquisition after he was accused of acquiring a number of thousand-dollar cheques from NIB on June 29 and July 2, while knowing they were the proceeds of crimes.

The rest of his co-defendants were also charged with one count each of money laundering concealing, for fraudulently acquiring the cheques in July. They were further charged with abetment to commit fraud after the prosecution argued they abetted Dean as he committed fraud.

During this hearing, all of the defendants denied the allegation and the matter was adjourned to February 9 for trial.

Yesterday, Dean was also charged alongside Lakeshia Tucker, 43, Gillian Thurston, 40, Takia Smith, 44, Santoine Major, 26, and Kalisa Miller, 26. They were charged with fraud by false pretences after they were accused of obtaining $3,081.80 from NIB’s RBC account on June 9.

Dean was further charged with four additional counts of money laundering acquisition for obtaining the fraudulent cheques which were made payable to his co-defendants on June 8.

It is alleged Dean, Major and Smith also obtained $4,125 from the bank account that same day.

It is further alleged Major also converted two RBC cheques in the amounts of $625 and $2,500 on June 24.

During the hearing, Dean, Poitier, Ray Rigby, 32, and Jermiane Evans, 35, were also accused of conspiring to commit fraud on May 4. Dean was further charged for forging another set of unemployment benefit forms during the first week of May.

It is alleged the manager dishonestly acquired several more fraudulent cheques from the NIB during that same timeframe. The prosecution also argued Dean posted several forged unemployment benefit forms in NIB’s V3 system on May 16.

Due to the nature of the allegations, the defendants were denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services in the interim.

They all have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.