Man with fake US currency to be sentenced

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

A Montego Bay man who was found in possession of five fraudulent US$100 notes will return to the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court for sentencing in February 2012.

Twenty-one-year-old Oshane Murray pleaded guilty with explanation to possession of counterfeit notes when he appeared before the court on Wednesday.

In his explanation, Murray told Resident Magistrate Sandra Wong-Small that he was in downtown Montego Bay on the day of the incident and saw a friend of his with the counterfeit money.

"I knew it was fake, and I took it from him because I wanted to 'red a girl eye' with it," Murray told the judge.

But the judge was unimpressed.

"Once you knew the money was fake and you took it, it is an offence," RM Wong-Small answered sternly.

Murray also admitted to the court that he had two previous records for possession of ganja. He told the court that he had pleaded guilty on the first occasion and not guilty on the second.

RM Wong-Small ordered a social enquiry report to be prepared for Murray, to aid in determining his sentence. He is booked to return to court on February 23, 2012.

The allegations are that on December 17, the police subjected Murray to a search and the five fake US$100 notes were found on his person. He was subsequently arrested and charged.