The Tribune

FIVE people, including two former Water and Sewerage Cooperation (WSC) employees, were granted bail yesterday after they were accused of defrauding WSC of tens of thousands of dollars from 2019 to 2020.

Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley charged former WSC senior superintendent Trevor Roberts, 60, with 47 fraud-related charges and former WSC accounts clerk Witchell Wilson, 47, with seven fraud-related charges.

The pair were charged with Adasha Pickering, 36, and the husband and wife, Romel, 53, and Vanessa Rolle, 51.

Roberts faced four counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences, 13 counts of money laundering, six counts of falsification of accounts, six counts of forgery, two counts of fraudulent breach of trust and 16 counts of stealing by reason of employment.

 Wilson was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences, fraudulent breach of trust and five counts of stealing by reason of employment.

 Pickering was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences and five counts of stealing by reason of service.

 The husband and wife faced charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences and 15 counts of stealing by reason of service.

 Two other defendants, Marvin Scavella, 56, and Veronica Newbold, 72, also faced fraud charges but were not in court.

 Their attorney, Donna Major, informed the chief magistrate that they were both ill, and she gave the judge their sick slips.

 Roberts allegedly conspired with others to defraud the WSC between February 15, 2019, and June 15, 2020.

 Roberts is further accused of fraudulently obtaining $29,043.50 from Invictus Trading between June 6, 2019 and September 9, 2019.

 On November 13, 2019, Roberts allegedly illegally acquired $17,880 and a further $7,093 on December 9, 2019.

 He also allegedly fraudulently obtained $35,880 from from Invictus Trading between September 9, 2019 and November 13, 2019.

 Roberts allegedly falsified and forged six invoices purporting to show payments to Kevin Cooper c/o Innovative General Maintenance between April 4, 2019, and August 20, 2019

 He is further accused of appropriating $117,826.50 from the company through false pretences between April 4, 2019 and June 15, 2020.

 Roberts allegedly acquired $90,847.56 from the WSC, payable to Shalom Development Company, between June 6, 2019 and June 3, 2020.

 He allegedly conspired with Scavella and Newbold to commit fraud between February 15, 2019 and June 15, 2020.

 Along with those two, he also allegedly acquired $18,673 from Invictus Trading between June 5 and 25, 2019.

 Roberts allegedly conspired with Vanessa and Romel Rolle to commit fraud between April 15, 2019 and June 4, 2020.

 Wilson allegedly conspired with Pickering and Roberts to commit fraud by false pretences between January 16, 2019, and June 30, 2020.

 While working at the WSC, Wilson allegedly stole $30,000, payable to PICCS General Maintenance, between January 16, 2020 and June 30, 2020.

 She also allegedly fraudulently obtained $30,000 while working as a WSC clerk during that timeframe.

 Pickering is accused of stealing $30,000 from the WSC, payable to PICCS General Maintenance, between January 16, 2020 and June 30, 2020.

 The Rolles allegedly stole $81,766 from the WSC, payable to RGM Services, between April 15, 2019, and June 4, 2020.

 All five defendants were informed that they were not required to enter a plea as their matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

 Although prosecutor Sergeant Vernon Pyfrom did not object to the defendants’ bail, he asked that they surrender their passports, noting the total amount they allegedly stole was about $546,820.

 Bail for Roberts and the Rolles was set at $25,000 with one or two sureties.

 Pickering and Wilson’s bail was $15,000 each with one or two sureties.

 Under the terms of their bail, they must sign in at their local police stations on the last Friday of every month.

 Their VBIs are set for service on July 25.

 Scavella and Newbold will appear in court for arraignment on April 25.

 Keod Smith represented Roberts. Donna Major represented the other defendants.