According to the TTPS, a Penal man has been sentenced to two years hard labour by a Siparia Magistrate, after he was charged with nine counts of Larceny totalling $266,000.

Police reports on the matter indicate that FARAND DEONANAN, 38, a proprietor, was charged with the offences when he appeared before Magistrate Brian Debideen, at the Siparia Magistrates’ Court, on Friday 30th June 2023.

He pleaded guilty to all nine offences and was sentenced to two years’ hard labour on each count. Several victims reported to police that during the period December 2022 and May 2023, they paid sums totalling $266,000 by means of cash and cheques to a man known to them. The sums represented down payments towards the purchase, importation and delivery of several types of vehicles from Japan after he led them to believe that he was in a position to do so on their behalf.

The victims later discovered that he was never in a position to execute the transactions as promised and all efforts to have the vehicles delivered to them or their monies refunded have proven futile to date.

The suspect was subsequently arrested by officers of the Fraud Squad during an exercise coordinated by Snr. Supt. Arlet Groome and supervised by ASP Lutchman and Insp. (Ag.) Seepersad. Deonanan was charged with the offences on Thursday 29th June, 2023, by officers of the Fraud Squad.