A bank employee became suspicious after noticing large sums being withdrawn from a chequing account and contacted the police. Days later, the employee saw the customer’s obituary in the newspaper.
These were some of the facts read into evidence by Principal State Counsel Olivia Davis after Eileen Veronica Smith pleaded guilty to fraud and theft charges before Acting Justice Donna Babb-Agard in the No. 4A Supreme Court.
Smith, 74 of Mapp Hill, St Michael and formerly of Horse Hill, St Joseph, admitted to forging four cheques totalling $155 000 from the First Caribbean account of her late aunt, Augustina Gregor, on August 30, 2020 and September 3, 2010, and stealing a total of $30 500 from Butterfield Bank Barbados Limited on September 2, 2010.
The court heard that Smith made several deposits to her savings account at Butterfield Bank from her aunt’s First Caribbean account. During that time, she withdrew amounts of $60 000, $25 000, $30 000 and $40 000.
It was brought to a manager’s attention that the signature on a cheque deposited by Smith did not match the one on record, and several efforts were made to contact Gregor. After an attempt was made to authorise the withdrawal of $90 000 from Gregor’s account through a power of attorney form, the manager observed the large withdrawals taken from the account and the differing signatures on all the cheques. The bank employee then changed the account’s status to prevent further withdrawals and contacted the police, who began investigations.
The manager called the police again a few days later when she saw Gregor’s obituary in the newspaper, confirming she had passed away on August 21, that year.
When police executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence, she handed over two chequebooks in her aunt’s name, both of which were missing cheques.
When police interviewed her, Smith refused to give a statement. She also responded, “I don’t want to reply” to every question.
Defence lawyer Rasheed Belgrave requested a pre-sentence report and asked that his client remain on bail.
Justice Babb-Agard adjourned the matter until May 23 for sentencing submissions.
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