Money problem leads to forgery, court hears

Parham Town resident Akeem Moses who police allegedly found driving with a ‘photocopied’ license sticker on his vehicle has appeared before the Magistrate’s Court on four charges.

He is charged with forgery, driving an uninsured vehicle, driving unlicensed vehicle, and driving an unregistered vehicle.

Moses was fined $1,100 after he pleaded guilty to the traffic offences when he appeared before Magistrate Ayanna Baptiste-DaBreo.

He did not answer to the forgery charge as that matter is indictable, effectively meaning that it may be transferred to the High Court.

The court heard that, on August 24 last year, police officers were conducting traffic checks on the Francis Drakes highway in the vicinity of Romney Laundry in West End.

Police noticed Moses driving in an easterly direction.

The court heard that he was not wearing a seatbelt, and the cops signalled him to pull over.

Police also realised that the license sticker on the vehicle allegedly was expired.

When cautioned about that observation, Moses reportedly replied: “A partner of mine tell me that the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) made a mistake.”

Police reportedly photographed the sticker.

The court heard that, following investigations, law enforces discovered that the sticker was not authentic.

Checks also revealed that the vehicle in question allegedly was not registered to the accused.

Police later cautioned the Moses about the alleged fake sticker. They claimed that the accused told them: “I do it to buy time because I didn’t have the money to buy it, but it straight now.”

Moses was subsequently taken into custody and charged.

The prosecution told the court that the sticker in question was ‘photocopied’.

Moses is scheduled to return to court on June 23 to answer to the forgery charge.

In the meantime, he was fined $750 for the charge regarding the uninsured vehicle, $150 for driving an unlicensed vehicle, and $200 for driving an unregistered vehicle.

Moses will serve a total of two months and eight days in prison if none of the fines is paid by June 23.