Ruimveldt woman fined for 2 counts of fraud

…in a battle for family’s property

The saying that “one cannot run from the law” can be applied to the case of Maxine Baird-Sampson, who was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Tuesday for two counts of fraud committed to become the sole beneficiary of her family property in 2004 and 2005.

Sampson lived happily for 12 years before the law finally caught up with her, landing her before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The prosecution’s case stated that on October 23, 2004 at Georgetown, the defendant took a false oath to an affidavit for the appointment of administration in the estate of Lillian Duncan, her mother, which stated that Duncan only had one child, which she knew to be false, thereby causing the letter of administration to be granted.

It is further stated that on May 10, 2005, she took an oath to an affidavit requesting the title of land by stating that the deceased (Duncan) had only one child and she was the sole beneficiary of the estate of the deceased, which she knew to be false. According to Prosecutor Arvin Moore, in 2004, Sampson secured an affidavit (by falsely pretending that she was an only child) and applied for the estate/plot of land located in Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara as a result of which she was granted the title by the Deeds Registry. In 2005, the woman sold the property to a second party for a total of $1.4 million.

A report was subsequently made by one of her siblings to the Brickdam Police Station, prompting the launch of an investigation which revealed the scam. This led to the arrest of Sampson and the present charges were initiated against her.

The woman readily professed her guilt, explaining that “if I knew it was an offence to say that I was an only child, I would have not done it. I was living in Guyana and my brother and sisters were in the US, and I had bills and taxes to pay on two houses…none of them helped me and the only way to get the house off my burden; it is a burden to take care of two houses. I tried to sell it and I was advised that it can only be sold if I am the only child of my mother, so that’s what I did, Your Honour.”

She further explained that her mother left behind hefty mortgages, which she covered from the proceeds of the sale, using the balance to do repair work on the fence.

The Chief Magistrate imposed a fine of $100,000 with respect to each charge, or a default sentence of nine months’ imprisonment.