A 20-year-old man, who attempted to lodge a fraudulent cheque at a bank on the campus of the University of the West Indies, Mona, has been given until the end of June to enrol in an institution to avoid a possible prison sentence.

Jordan Chong of a Kingston address was last Thursday advised by Senior Parish Judge Judith Pusey to return to the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on July 1 with proof that he has enrolled in a school.

On the said date, Chong, who has pleaded guilty to uttering a forged document, will know his fate.

The court heard that Chong went to the Mona campus branch of the Bank of Nova Scotia on April 27 and attempted to lodge a cheque for $1,189,000 purported to be from Tank-Weld Limited.

He was held on the same day after irregularities with the cheque were discovered and the police were summoned.

Chong, on his last occasion before the court, had indicated that he received the cheque from two men who drove up to him in a motor car.

However, yesterday after he pleaded guilty, his attorney, Donovan Williams asked the judge to consider a non-custodial sentence, as his client was remorseful and contrite.

Williams also told the court that Chong had the potential to turn his life around.

The parish judge, however, told Chong that she was in no mood to “kiss him and send him home” because bank fraud involving fraudulent cheques had become too prevalent.

She then enquired as to what Chong was doing with himself and was told that he works with his family, who own a wrecker company. But the investigating officer told the court that he no longer worked with that company and that the wrecker company was, in fact, owned by the family of a girl that Chong was friends with, but that they were no longer together.

Chong’s attorney then told the judge that his client has five Caribbean Examination Council subjects and wants to enrol at Heart NTA to become a chef.

The magistrate then told him that he should have that sorted out and return for his sentencing.

“If him not enrol, I can have all the fun I want with him,” the judge warned.

— Tanesha Mundle