Fake GRA Officer jailed for car scam

Sep 08, 2019 News

Jailed: Kevin Campbell

A man, who pretended to be a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) officer and tried to sell a seized motorcar that was being held by GRA, was sentenced to jail when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse.
Twenty-six-year-old Kevin Campbell, Thursday last, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to two fraud charges and an escaping from lawful custody charge. Campbell pleaded guilty to all three and offered to give an explanation.
The first charge alleged that on March 7, 2019, at GRA head office at Camp Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, Campbell obtained $150,000 in cash from Jairam Rampersaud, while pretending to be a GRA employee.
The second charge stated that on March 8, 2019, at the same location, with intent to defraud, he obtained $300, 000, cash from Melanie Persaud while pretending to be a GRA employee.
The final charge alleged that on July 3, 2019, at Robb and King Street, while in lawful custody of the police, he escaped from custody.
Police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield released the facts of the charge to the court, which stated that during January, Jairam made contact with Campbell and told him he was interested in purchasing a motorcar.
According to reports, Campbell told Jairam that he was in charge of GRA and that he was in a position to sell him a Toyota Premio motorcar. On March 7, 2019, Jairam met with Campbell at GRA and handed over the sum of $150,000, cash as part payment for the vehicle.
The following day Campbell met with Persaud at GRA’s Camp Street branch, and she also handed over money to him as part payment for a motorcar. After receiving the two part payment from the two victims, Campbell went into hiding.
After trying to make contact with Campbell for the car, each virtual complainant made a police report.
On July 3, 2019, Campbell was arrested by ranks of a neighbourhood police group. On the same date, while Campbell was being escorted to the Criminal Investigation Department at Eve Leary, when the vehicle stopped at the traffic light, between Robb and King Street, he (Campbell) took the opportunity to jump out of the vehicle and made good his escape.
However, on August 30, 2019, Campbell was apprehended by the police and an investigation was launched, he was subsequently charged for the offence and later brought before the court.
“I was working but after I lost my job I couldn’t find anything to do but I tried getting a job,” Campbell told the court when asked by Senior Magistrate Nurse what he has to say for himself.
In handing down the sentences, Senior Magistrate Nurse explained to the defendant that based on the fact that he didn’t waste the court’s time, he would take that into consideration, but the fact that he showed no remorse and escaped from the police that would also be taken into consideration.
Campbell was sentenced to two years imprisonment for each of the fraud charges and one year for escaping from lawful custody, the sentences are slated to run concurrently thus he will only serve two years. (By Renay Sambach)

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