The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A HAITIAN man who travelled to the country on a fraudulent work permit that he claimed to have purchased from an airline agent in his home country was ordered to pay $2,200 to avoid spending a year behind bars.

Marius Renold, 31, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes after he was found with a forged re-entry permit that he attempted to present to immigration officials at the Lynden Pindling International airport to gain entry into the country.

He pleaded guilty to one count each of possession of a forged document and the unlawful use of a forged document during his arraignment.

The court was told that Renold had travelled from Haiti to the Bahamas on February 5. When he presented himself to immigration officials at the airport, he showed them his Haitian passport and a Bahamian entry card. When the officials ran the card through their system, they discovered that the accused had no pending or approved work permit on record. Investigations also revealed that the permit he presented did not belong to him, but was actually in the name of another Haitian man. According to the prosecution, the re-entry permit Marius produced was fraudulent as the department only issued electronic entry permits. The accused was subsequently arrested and charged.

During the hearing, Marius, speaking through an interpreter, told the magistrate he had paid an airline agent in Haiti $2,300 to stamp his passport with the visa. He insisted he was not aware that the document was fraudulent.

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate Forbes fined him $1,200 for having the fake permit and another $1,000 for using the document unlawfully. If he fails to pay the fines, he could risk spending 12 months on remand.

Magistrate Forbes said once the fine was paid or the sentence was served, Marius would be turned over to the Director of Immigration for deportation.