Forty-nine-year-old ANTONIO WHITTIER, of Market Street Extension, St. Joseph, was granted bail with a surety in the sum of $150,000 after he appeared before Justice of the Peace, Stephen Young, last week after he was charged with larceny by trick of $66,500.

He is expected to appear at the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on February 7th, 2022. According to the police report on the matter, Whittier allegedly encouraged and led a man to believe that he would procure gym equipment for him at a reduced cost, from his overseas employer, an international cruise line operator.

He apparently used a series of manipulated photographs, WhatsApp messages, and other documents, to convince the victim to purchase the items, as he claimed that the cruise ship was reducing operations as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and was selling off a large quantity of gym equipment at a reduced price.

The victim agreed to purchase the equipment and made several payments totaling $65,500, with the expectation that the equipment would be delivered when the accused returned to the country in February 2021. When the victim made his final payment, he subsequently lost contact with the accused and was unable to locate him.

Following a report which was made to the Fraud Squad in August 2021, Insp. Samuel and Sgt. Basarath, conducted investigations into the matter which revealed the accused was not employed on a cruise ship and he never left the country.

He was arrested while conducting sales at a bakery in the St. Joseph area, on Thursday 13th January 2022. Charges were laid by Cpl Liverpool of the Fraud Squad, on the same date.