Trial date set for gas station workers accused of stealing

A trial date has been set for the gas station employees accused of stealing several million dollars worth of fuel.

The accused employees, who reportedly stole $6 million worth of gas from a gas station last year, are to be tried in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on March 28 of next year.

Charged with larceny as a servant and conspiracy to defraud are 26-year-old Orneilia Hall, of Red Hills in St Andrew, and Basil Marcus.

The duo, who first appeared in court last May, had their bail extended when they appeared in court yesterday before parish judge Venice Blackstock-Murray.

Hall was employed to Fuel Deals Express in Kingston as an administration associate, while Marcus was employed as a pump attendant.

According to allegations, between December 1, 2019 and February 13, 2020, both accused conspired and stole 90-octane fuel, diesel fuel and ultra-low sulphur fuel amounting to $6,666, 539.97.

During the period in which the gas was alleged to have been stolen, Hall was reportedly responsible for verifying the pump attendants’ end-of-day sales, but had never reported any shortage.

The fraud was, however, uncovered during an independent reconciliation exercise.

But Hall, in her defence, maintained that the fuel was lost through a leak on the pump which continued leaking even after it was patched.

Yesterday when the matter was mentioned, the attorney representing Hall made an application for the prosecution to discontinue the case on the basis that it has failed to disclose the material on which it is heavily relying to prove its case.

The attorney argued that the accused have had to put their lives on hold and that the case is unable to proceed to trial because the prosecution is yet to present a report from the Jamaica Constabulary Force Communications Forensic and Cyber-Crimes Unit.

The prosecution in reply said that report was not prepared as the officer who was assigned had resigned, but that it has now been reassigned to another officer. The prosecution then asked for additional time and also suggested that a trial date be set in the interim.

The judge, after hearing the application, decided to give the prosecution an opportunity to get the report but warned that the trial will proceed on the date scheduled whether or not the report is ready.

Attorney-at-law Jacqueline Samuels-Brown, QC, is representing Marcus.