ST JAMES, Jamaica — An insurance broker was on Monday sentenced to nine months in prison for reportedly embezzling over $1.5 million.

Deonne Wilson, 51, pleaded guilty to embezzlement, obtaining money by false pretence and attempting to pervert the course of justice following her appearance in the St James Parish Court.

According to the prosecution’s case file, Wilson, who worked for Lawe Insurance Brokers and Sagicor Limited between 2018 and 2021, collected payments on policies from various customers but failed to hand over the funds to her employers.

While working as an insurance agent, Wilson was reportedly asked to present her receipt book for an audit, however, she claimed that her insurance report book had been lost and reported it missing at the Freeport Police Station, despite knowing that it was not missing and that it would implicate her in several counts of embezzlement and other criminal offences.

When she was dismissed as an insurance broker for poor performance, she continued to collect insurance premium payments, posing as an employee of an insurance brokerage.

In mitigation, Wilson’s attorney Suwayne Phillips stated that her actions were motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“She was struggling, and that led to her doing certain things,” Phillips said.

Wilson’s life before, according to Phillips, was on a promising path, as she was always employed and had a good educational background. She also indicated that her family life and upbringing were stable and that she was raised in a Christian home.

According to Phillips, her client made an effort to repay some of the money, but the complainants rejected the offer because they wanted the entire sum.

Phillips requested that the court consider the fact that she did not waste the court’s time by embarking on a trial.

“She accepted her mistake, is remorseful, and pleaded guilty at the earliest possible time,” the lawyer continued, pleading for mercy on her behalf.

Presiding parish judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce said that the report was a remarkable one, noting that Wilson’s actions were not influenced by factors such as poverty, poor upbringing, poor family relations or a broken home.

“She had the benefit of a stable and healthy family life, good education up to university level, a history of employment at established places,” the judge said.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, which is ongoing, cannot be deemed to give anybody impetus to steal from poor hardworking middle-class citizens,” Grant-Pryce added, citing examples of a teacher who was robbed of more than $500,000 as well as a retired person who was also victimised.

The judge went on to argue that this was a deeply ingrained wicked behaviour that couldn’t be shrugged off as “I was broke during the pandemic.”

Grant also reminded Wilson that she had stolen in excess of $1 million and that the court could not turn the other cheek, slap her on the wrist, or tell society that it was okay, especially given the prevalence of these types of offences, and that the court needed to send a message.

For attempting to pervert the course of justice and obtaining money by false pretence, Wilson was sentenced to six months in prison on each charge. Additionally, she was given a nine-month prison sentence on the charge of embezzlement. Sentences are to run concurrently.