Man Receives Suspended Sentence For Fraud
Senior Magistrate Archie Warner handed down a sentence of six months in prison to a Trinidadian man convicted of fraud, but suspended that custodial sentence for 24 months.
Sentence was passed on Joel Balfour, a 42 year-old who said that he was working in Bermuda as an IT engineer, and who had been convicted, by his own admission, of defrauding a Jamaican Guest Worker of $14,346.
The fraud had occurred as a result of Balfour representing to the Jamaican worker that he could arrange or expedite a Canadian immigration visa for him; and the funds had been willingly paid over.
The Crown had recommended a sentence between 9 and 12 months. However Magistrate Warner pointed out that this offence was in the nature of a scam. That like all scams, it required the willing participation of the victim who, even though he was the final victim, was still seeking to gain an advantage by going outside the usual channels or using a backdoor route. The Magistrate also took into account that Balfour was able to repay $13,000 dollars and had a clean record in Bermuda.
The Magistrate’s ruling was that the sentence was six months in prison suspended for 24 months. In addition, Balfour was to repay the $13,000 immediately and the remaining $1,346 was to be repaid within 90 days.
The Magistrate noted that the Department of Immigration might take certain courses of action, but that he had no power to take any further or other action.Asked how he had been living since his first court appearance on this matter in April 2012, Balfour told the Magistrate that he had been doing ‘voluntary’ work.
Read More About
Category: All, Court Reports, Crime, News
He should have invested that money in the Gift Club. At least it would have taken longer for him to lose it all
Don’t even remind us of that scam…you’ll get everybody pissed off all over again!
Once Balfour has paid the money back he should be deported. He has 90 days to pay the balance. That should be enough time for him to “settle his affairs” and be sent back to wherever he came from. People work hard for there money and no one should be trying to take/steal it from them. Agree the victim should have joined a gift club or saved in he bank.
Balfour must be good , a tongue of platinuim . He should be rewarded with a one way to out of Bermuda .
Like I said in a post yesterday, with Justice Warner all you have to do is tell him that you have a sick mother/nana/aunt/child/cat/dog/goldfish/fill-in-the-blank and he’ll be practically sobbing up there and give you a break. He needs to learn to see through people’s bullsip and stop letting people play him.
Plus, what’s up with practically blaming the victim? Desperation sometimes over-rides common sense and for someone to take advantage of a person in such a vulnerable position is disgusting.
WHAT HAS BDA COME TOO ! STEAL, STEAL, STEAL ! SHAME !
This man should not be admitted here in Bda at all!
Taking advantage those who work hard!
He should be sent home wherever it is. Together with the Filipin who fraud insurance!
Y hasn’t this man been made to live Bermuda after his 90 days!? Also in the Barbara ‘s case she paid $70,000 back from stealing n still owed the Place family over $6000 n wasnt made to pay the rest back. WTH!!!!