IF ALLEGATIONS OUTLINED in court are true, Renford Soares is in big trouble after it was alleged that he took more than $1 million in total from several complainants to buy a Honda Civic and failed to hand over the vehicle.
Soares, 28, who also goes by the name Marlon Williams is from Daytona in Portmore, St. Catherine. He is charged along with 33-year-old Craig Wilson of Barbican, Kingston 6. Both men are charged with obtaining money by false pretences and conspiracy to defraud. They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Court files indicate that in October of last year, Soares approached one of the complainants who taught him in high school and told her he was a customs officer and could get a Honda Civic for her through a public auction at the wharf. He reportedly got $220,000 but did not deliver the vehicle.
He then went to another complainant and reportedly told him the same story and was given $300,000.
Wilson was arrested after he allegedly went to two complain-ants and told them he knew someone at the wharf who could get an auctioned vehicle for them. They reportedly paid him a total of $980,000 but failed to deliver the vehicles as well. The matter was reported and Wilson was arrested and charged. He later identified Soares as being the person whom he had reportedly collected the money for and he too was arrested.
When the matter came up for mention before Resident Magis-trate Martin Gayle, Wilson's attorney told the court that his client had collected the money on Soares' behalf after being allegedly told he would receive his car at a discount if he got more clients.
But, Soares' attorney told the court that his client was innocent of the charges. He added that his client had been before the court on previous occasions and had admitted to the offences when charged. This time, however, he was not guilty.
One of the complainants, however, told the court that he had reportedly given $450,000 over to the accused in a manager's cheque. Another complainant also informed the court that Soares had visited her workplace and waited for almost an hour for the money.
R.M. Gayle then set a February 22 trial date. Soares was remanded in custody while Wilson's bail was extended.
Do
you have a problem? Is something bothering
you? Write to 