Woman accused of being involved in car importation scam freed

A woman who was charged in relation to a car importation scheme was today freed in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court after her lawyer argued that her initial guilty plea should not be accepted.

Sashana Evans,19, was answering charges of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by means of false pretence, receiving stolen property, engaging in a transaction involving criminal property, failing to issue a report, non-delivery of goods or service in a contracted date and unlawfully making available data or device for the commission of an offence.

Evans had pleaded guilty.

When the matter was called up in court today, attorney-at-Law Rodain Richardson submitted to Parish Judge Lori-Ann Montague that his client's guilty plea could not be accepted and made an application asking for it to be withdrawn.

Richardson submitted that for there to be a prima facie case intent would have to be established.

It was argued that there was no intent on the part of Evans and to accept the guilty plea would amount to a miscarriage of justice.

The judge agreed that intent was missing from the matter.

The Crown offered no further evidence.

The judge then upheld the application freeing the woman.

Evans was accused of being involved with a car importation scheme which went awry.

This resulted in an investigation that led to her being criminally charged with three others.  

Those still before the court are Christopher Elliot, Amelia Edwards, and Crystal McKenzie, who are booked to return on November 6 when the matter will again be mentioned.

It is being alleged that Elliot is at the centre of a fraud case in which he allegedly collected $600,000 to import vehicles on the behalf of the complainants.

Allegations are that Elliot operates an online car mart, advertising that he is able to import vehicles.

He allegedly instructed interested persons to transfer the funds to bank accounts of his co-accused, who sent Elliot the monies received.

- Rasbert Turner

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