Khadene Thomas, a wealth advisor from a National Commercial Bank (NCB) branch in St Ann, is expected to be slapped with additional charges in connection to a multi-million fraud at the financial institution.
Despite the development, the accused woman, appearing in the St Ann Parish Court last week, was granted $5 million bail.
She was initially charged with forgery, uttering forged documents, access with intent to computer data, larceny as a servant, and engaging in a transaction involving criminal property.
The offences stemmed from allegations that she fraudulently withdrew US$143,000 from the account of a client of the bank between 2020 and 2022.
In court, presiding Parish Judge, Larona Montague-Williams, was informed by prosecutors that an additional sum of US$136,000 is now applicable to the amount that was allegedly stolen, bringing the figure to US$279,000 (approximately J$42.8 million).
In addition to being granted bail, the judge ordered Thomas to surrender her travel documents.
She is to return to court on May 10.
Attorney Matthew Hyatt, who is representing Thomas along with senior counsel, Bert Samuels, said his client continues to deny all the allegations that have been laid against her.
“The police indicated that there are two additional charges to be laid in concerning larceny as a servant and uttering forged documents,” Hyatt told reporters.
Reports from detectives at the Fraud Squad are that on Friday, January 13, Thomas was arrested based on investigative leads.
The allegations are that between July 2020 and October 2022, Thomas conducted a number of unauthorised transfers from a customer’s account to her account.
Initially, the allegedly stolen funds was said to be US$30,000, but following Thomas’ arrest and charge, the figure has ballooned to significantly more.
