Michael McLean, Star Writer
Santa Cruz

A man accused of collecting $91,000 from eight individuals in St Elizabeth, was offered $50,000 bail in the Santa Cruz RM Court on Tuesday.

As a condition of his bail, he is to report to the Balaclava Police Station on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Leroy Bennett, 26, of Spaldings, Clarendon, and Balaclava, St Elizabeth, was remanded by RM Stanley Clarke but was later offered bail when his mother told the court that he had a serious heart problem.

The police told the court that Bennett fainted several times while in custody.

The court was told that between January and May, this year, Bennett pretended to be an agent for two companies, General Compressor Services and WINDALCO, and he collected $91,000 from two women and six men in the Balaclava area aafter telling them that he could obtain jobs and drivers' licences for them.

He collected sums of money between $5,000-$19,000 in several payments from the eight individuals. When the jobs were not forthcoming, the matter was reported to the police and on May 7 this year, Bennett was picked up by the Balaclava police. He was arrested and charged with 14 counts of collecting money by false pretence.

In court, seven of the eight complainants were reimbursed with most of their money the police have retrieved from the accused, with only a balance of $17,000 to be paid over.

Bennett is to return to the Santa Cruz RM court on June 23 for sentencing.