MONTEGO BAY, St James — A man who told the court he used a fictitious name to obtain a passport to fulfil his dream of travelling has been slapped with a $100,000 fine.

St James resident Kenroy Suarez pleaded guilty with explanation to making a false declaration when he appeared in the Parish Court on Wednesday. The 38-year-old was hauled before the court to answer charges of obtaining a passport under a fictitious name and travelling outside the country with the fraudulent document.

According to court records, on March 22 Suarez was asked to visit the office of the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) at Fairview in Montego Bay. While there he was shown a passport application with his photograph under the name Rensford Wellesley Murdock.

The document was shown to him because it was discovered that on December 22, 2005 he submitted an application under the bogus identity in order to obtain a passport, which resulted in the charge against him.

When given the opportunity to speak on Wednesday, Suarez implored the court to forgive him.

“Your Honour, I was young and I got the opportunity to go overseas to work… I overstayed and was sent back home to Jamaica,” he explained to presiding Parish Judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley.

He stated that he wanted the opportunity to work in order to improve his life and admitted to travelling to another island using a passport with a fictitious name.

He claimed, however, that he had no idea how much trouble he was getting himself into and asked the court to be lenient.

“Your prints will have to be taken, but if you are on your best behaviour in the next years, you can always seek the assistance of an attorney as to the way forward, in terms of a record,” Judge Smith-Ashley said before imposing a fine of $100,000 or 30 days in jail.