Four persons were on Monday charged with 21 counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and three counts of forgery.
This was after eight Guyanese women, who had a long-distance relationship with a male Caucasian, were allegedly conned $804,000.
The four, Khadijah Long, unemployed of Lot 28-26 Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden; Wayne Halley, 27, a driver of Lot 194 First Street Mocha, East Bank Demerara; Kevon Mc Bean, 43, a postal clerk attached to the Guyana Post Office Corporation and of Lot 42 Amelia’s Ward, Linden, along with Matthew Ejike Nwackukwu, 36, a Nigerian of Lot 96 Duncan Street, Kitty, Georgetown, appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court before Principle Magistrate Rondel Weaver on Monday, where the charges were read to them.
They were charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) with multiple charges.
Long was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a felony and placed on $50,000 bail.
Halley was charged with 10 counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and placed on $300,000 bail.
Mc Bean was charged with three counts of forgery and placed on $100,000 bail while Nwackukwu was also charged with 10 counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and remanded to prison.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and will have to return to court on July 27.
According to SOCU, eight females were befriended by a male Caucasian on WhatsApp, where they established a “so called” long-distance relationship and communicated regularly via social media.
During their conversations, the male Caucasian told them that he would be sending to Guyana, packages containing items such as cologne, bags, watches, chains and US currency. Thereafter they received WhatsApp messages from a delivery agent of the Delta Courier Service, who informed them that the packages were in transit in their Chicago Office, USA.
They were then allegedly asked to send cash to Khadijah Long, Wayne Halley and Matthew Ejike Nwackukwu to facilitate the delivery of the packages. Subsequently, the victims sent a total of $804,000 to Long, Halley and Nwackukwu but they never received any package.
Kevon Mc Bean was contacted by Halley, who asked her to assist in processing transactions at the McKenzie Post Office, Linden, and she agreed.
SOCU is alleging that between June 24, 2022, and July 14, 2022, she colluded with the said Halley and forged the signatures of recipients on several Guyana Post Office Corporation Inland Money Order and collected the cash.
The matters were subsequently reported to SOCU and investigations conducted.
