men were dragged to court after more than US$200,000 (J$32.7 million) was withdrawn from the account of murder-accused Everton ‘Beachy Stout’ McDonald.

The accused men, Demar Bryce and Romane James, appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday to answer to the charges of engaging in a transaction that involves criminal property, possession of criminal property, simple larceny and conspiracy to defraud.

McDonald has been incarcerated since August 3, 2020, on a murder charge relating to the death of his second wife, Tonia McDonald.

READ: ‘Beachy Stout’ charged with murder in first wife’s death

The allegations are that in July, JMMB Bank made a report to the police in relation to the insurance and encashment of several cheques conducted on a joint account maintained by McDonald.

During a review of the account by JMMB Bank staff, it was observed that an account/client information form was prepared, requesting that there be a “change of telephone number and email address on file”.

The court was told that a renewed driver’s license for McDonald was submitted.

OBSERVER ONLINE understands that this change allowed for instructions to be issued to the bank via the new telephone number and email address.

The court was also told that the bank received several telephone instructions for cheques to be prepared in the accused men’s names.

Between July 9, 2021 and June 8, 2022 cheques totaling US$213,3000 were made payable to James and Bryce, and the cheques were cashed.

The men were later arrested and charged after McDonald was questioned at the lock up he was being HELD on August 19.

Kimberli Whittaker, attorney for Bryce, told OBSERVER ONLINE that her client doesn’t work for the bank and the cheques totalled 24.

Disclosure is expected to be made by September 22.