…jailed for 56 months
Several months after being released from prison, having served 36 months for fraud, security guard Ronald Saunders again found himself arraigned before a Georgetown Magistrate on Monday to answer to a charge of fraud.
The unrepresented Saunders admitted that on August 6, 2018, while being solely entrusted by Lancelot Bacchus with the sum of $2.7 million to purchase two tractor engines, he fraudulently converted the cash to his own use and benefit.
The prosecution’s case is that the 48-year-old Saunders was employed as a security guard at the virtual complainant’s business place, and was given the money to purchase the engines, but never returned with either the engines or the money. The Police were called in, and Saunders was arrested and charged with the offence of fraud.
Saunders told the court on Monday that he used the money to buy “things”.
“I am sorry for what I did, but I can’t turn back the hands of time. I bought things; phones and other things,” he told the magistrate in a plea of mitigation.
After considering the guilty plea, Senior Magistrate Judy Latchman sentenced Saunders to 56 months’ imprisonment.
Precedent
Saunders had previously been charged in June 2016 for a similar offence. He had then been solely entrusted by Clint McKenzie with 12 ounces of raw gold, valued $2,760,000, to sell and bring the proceeds to McKenzie; but he had fraudulently converted the money to his own use and benefit. On that occasion, he was jailed for 36 months.
