St Catherine man accused of traffic ticket scam gets bail extension, warned by court

A St Catherine man charged for allegedly fraudulently collecting money from a motorist to “assist” in clearing his traffic tickets was given a stern warning before his bail was extended in the parish court on Wednesday.

Dwayne Cephas of Spanish Town, St Catherine, is charged with two counts of larceny by trick.

Cephas pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Parish Court Judge Roneish Lawrence.

He was not represented by a lawyer at the time of his appearance.

The Clerk of Court informed the court that the incidents allegedly took place within the precincts of the courthouse, prompting concerns about the brazenness of the acts.

Allegations are that on January 30 and February 8 this year, the accused approached the complainant and told him that he could “assist” with his traffic tickets.

He reportedly collected $40,000 on one occasion and $36,000 on another.

Cephas allegedly told the complainant that the tickets would be addressed through the court’s system.

However, the tickets remained outstanding, and it was later revealed that Cephas had no affiliation with the court.

The matter was reported to the Spanish Town police, and following an investigation, Cephas was arrested and subsequently charged.

- Rasbert Turner

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