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‘I’m full of regret and have lost opportunities’ | Former cashier fined $4K for theft

Jakeya Fergus

Virgin Gorda resident Jakeya Fergus has been fined $4,000 after admitting to dishonestly using a Colombian man’s debit card to purchase designer earrings, among other things.

The 18-year-old unemployed woman was given up to March 12 next year to pay the fines, or in default, she will spend four months at Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut.

Fergus was also ordered to compensate the complainant in full.

Before handing down the sentence, Magistrate Ayanna Baptiste-DaBreo informed Fergus that she should be prepared for the rippling effects of her actions.

I am sorry

In the meantime, Fergus said she was remorseful for her actions. 

“I am sincerely sorry for what I did, I accept my wrongdoings. I am full of regret. I lost opportunities … If time could rewind I would take it back,” she said.

What the court heard happened

The court heard that earlier this year, the complainant used his bank card to perform a payment transaction at a local supermarket chain where Fergus was employed as a cashier.

On February 7, when he attempted to withdraw cash from an automated teller machine — more commonly referred to as an ATM — but he was unable to do so.

The court heard that the baffled man then paid a visit to the main branch on Tortola to make inquiries where the discoveries were made.

A report was subsequently made to the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, who launched an investigation into the matter.

The accused was subsequently arrested and charged with the aforementioned offences.

Fergus bought designer earrings, food

The court heard that Fergus charged food and designer earrings to the card.

The offences occurred in January and February this year.

The first offence was when she purchased a pair of Gucci earrings valued at $200.

She reportedly read the particulars of the card from her cellphone and signed the receipt after informing the cashier that she had forgotten her card at home.

The court heard that she purchased a round trip ticket to Virgin Gorda for $30, bought a meal from a Virgin Gorda-based restaurant valued at $17.50 and another transaction valued at $219.

Fergus reportedly told the various business places that the card was either broken or that it belonged to her boyfriend.

Attorney Patrick Thompson represented her.

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24 Comments

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  1. Eagle eye says:

    How much of that 4000 going to the victim.

    Like 8
    Dislike 5
  2. Anonymous says:

    You know, i didn’t think about that before, during or eve after, until i got caught.

    Where was my christina moral compass before?

    GTFOH.

    Like 15
    Dislike 1
  3. duck1951 says:

    seems to me that the jewelry vendor is as culpable .

    Like 22
    Dislike 5
  4. Okay young lady says:

    What you did was not cool but,at least you own up to what you did and apologize.

    Like 23
    Dislike 3
  5. All I have to say says:

    You are now officially a member of the blacklist/side eye look club. You messed things up for the young people that is willing to work and not think or will steal someone’s credit card number out of greed and selfishness. You want Gucci, work and save your money for Gucci. Where I am from, the FEDS would have been all over you when you made the first transaction without said card. The people that allowed you to purchase without said card should be terminated on the spot.

    Like 33
    Dislike 2
  6. Girl PLEASEEEEE says:

    YOU ARE ONLY ACTING THIS WAY BECAUSE YOU GOT CAUGHT. I’M QUITE SURE YOU WOULD BE DOING IT IF YOU WERE NOT CAUGHT.YEAH I BELIEVE YOU WOULD HAVE DONE THIS TO EVERY CUSTOMER CREDIT CARD. YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A D—-ING,LOW LEVEL THIEF. NO ONE IS GOING TO WANT TO HIRE YOU.

  7. huh says:

    dem putting she to sell w**e now

    Like 1
    Dislike 7
    • @Huh says:

      She put herself up to now sell w**e.No one is going to be willing to have her work in their business. All cashiers are not sticky fingers but, everytime I make a transaction with my credit card,what you did make me wonder if the cashier is going to do the same to my credit card.

      Like 13
      • Seriously says:

        Why why why, stop bashing people, it’s just SAD for what she did and that she got caught and alot of you posting, just lucky because you all AIN’T AS YET. Who without SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE. I dont know her, but at least she learnt her lesson to leave what doesn’t belongs to her and apologies for her doing.

        WE HUMAN BEINGS NEED TO ???????? IF WE DONT HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT OTHERS. MISS LADY, DONT LET THE TALK STOP YOU FROM LOOK WORK NO WHERE. DONT BE SUPRISES YOU GET WORK BEFORE ALOT OF.

        WITH THEM NONSENSE

        Like 5
        Dislike 2
  8. Smh says:

    Most people are only sorry because they were caught. However it will take sometime but bounce back is possible with God.

    Like 4
    Dislike 2
  9. Hey says:

    Coulda check for a lil flip

  10. Free Sham! says:

    Isn’t this the same as Sham was incarcerated for? How come she got about 6 months to pay off for the $4k but Sham got time for a $600 tv?!?! How is there equity in the law? I can steal monies and purchase goods but not receive jail time?

    Like 14
    • Sound Cloud says:

      I see your point but you have to bear in mind that the individual you spoke of with the TV was tried/sentence in the High Court(HC) not the Magistrate Court(MC). This young lady was tried in the MC, the lower court. The HC has different sentencing guidelines for the offense charged.

      I hope she has learned from this and go on to be an upstanding law abiding citizen.

  11. Reply says:

    Time will Heal All Wounds…
    Ms. Fergus I hope you have truly learned a valuable lesson in this! All the best

    Like 7
    Dislike 2
  12. Unknown Sailor says:

    On March 15, 2019, an 18 year-old—Jakeya Fergus, of the Valley, Virgin Gorda—was arrested and charged for theft and was granted bail in the sum of $10,000 with one signed surety.

  13. Unknown Sailor says:

    “full of regret”

  14. Dookanoo says:

    The most important thing about our past is that we learn from it

    Like 3
    Dislike 2
  15. See says:

    Full of BS .

  16. No Bank on VG says:

    This is what happens when you close the banking system after a national emergency. People at wits end now after 2 years. There is allot more of this going on that is not getting reported. I don’t say this is right, but this place messed up. People walking around with credit cards or big pockets of cash. The Devil going to get involved when you put this together!

    Like 1
    Dislike 6
  17. Slackness says:

    No excuse for what this young lady did; However, what kind of establishment accepts a verbal credit card number for payment in store? We have to get serious about fraud prevention here. That is absurd. Don’t take card payments period, if the customer can not produce the card AND the ID to match. Come on! Stop this madness.

  18. @Smh says:

    And the vast majority, 99.9% of people who are stealing every day, from the highest of office right down to the garbage collector to the unemployed do not get caught.

    Some of the highest respected people of this community and churches, schools, banks, private companies,law firms, etc, etc, are the biggest of thiefing criminals, but they never get exposed. It isthe human and business way.

    Their moral and religious codes are mere outward shams. Theykeep the average blind floded while they practice their code of self enrichment.

    He who practices honesty is blind to what is being taken from him.

  19. hmmmmmmmmm says:

    lol she can Easley make that money though lol

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