Man in farm work scam to pay $200k restitution after a complainant dies
Published:Saturday | May 27, 2023 | 1:09 PM
A man who is accused taking about $1.5 million in a farm work ticket fraud has been ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to the family of one of the complainants who died before the resolution of the matter.
The woman, who was among 10 complainants, died on May 24, two days before the case was scheduled to be mentioned in the St Catherine Parish Court.
When accused man Ryan Payne appeared on Friday, Parish Judge Nathalie Creary-Dixon ordered him to prepare the restitution payment for his next court appearance on June 19.
It is alleged that in 2020, Payne met the complainants and told them he was an employee of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and could provide them with tickets for the overseas farm work programme.
They paid over the sums to him but he allegedly failed to honour his promise and became elusive.
The matter was reported to the Spanish Town police.
An investigation was launched and Payne was arrested and subsequently charged with obtaining money by means of false pretense.
- Rasbert Turner
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