A 20-year-old man was, on Thursday, September 05, 2019, sentenced to a total of five years’ imprisonment by Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, after he confessed to three criminal charges.

Kevin Campbell admitted that, on March 7, 2019, at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Camp Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he obtained the sum of $150,000 from Vijay Rampersaud by falsely pretending to be an employee of the GRA and that he was in a position to deliver one Toyota Premio motorcar to him.

It was further alleged that, on March 8, 2019, at the GRA, Camp Street, Campbell obtained the sum of $300,000 from Nalini Rampersaud by falsely pretending to be an employee of the GRA and that he was in a position to deliver one Toyota Premio motorcar to her also.
It was also alleged that, on July 3, 2019, at Robb and King Streets, Georgetown, Campbell escaped police custody.

Campbell pleaded guilty to all of the charges and told the court that he met two GRA employees who gave him the impression that they could have gotten the car for him.
He noted that he, too, was a victim and was scammed by two men and when he went to meet with the two men he could not find them and decided to keep the money.

Campbell explained that he was threatened by the police, and that is why he ran.
Police Prosecutor Mansfield told the court that during January 2019, Vijay Rampersaud contacted Campbell and told him that he was interested in purchasing a motor car.
Campbell falsely told Vijay Rampersaud that he was employed at the GRA and would be able to sell him a Toyota Premio Motor Car which was seized by his employer.
On March 7, 2019, the virtual complainant met Campbell at GRA and gave him $180,000 as payment towards the said motorcar.

On March 8, 2019, Nalini Rampersaud met with Campbell at the GRA and gave him $300,000, as payment towards the said motorcar.

However, upon receiving the monies, Campbell never delivered the motorcar to the virtual complainants. The matter was subsequently reported to the police.

On July 3, 2019, Campbell was arrested by ranks of the Leonora Police station and, while being transported to Police Station in Georgetown, he escaped from the police van while in the vicinity of Robb and King Streets.

However, police gave chase but was unable to apprehend the accused.
Senior magistrate Nurse sentenced Campbell to two years’ imprisonment for each fraud charge along with one year’s jail for escaping police custody. The sentencing will run concurrently and Campbell will only spend two years in jail.