KINGSTON, Jamaica – A Jamaican woman residing in Canada appeared before a Senior Parish Judge on Tuesday, facing accusations of obtaining goods by fraud totalling over $3 million.

Jodiann Bonnick Anderson stood before presiding judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court to answer the fraud charge levelled against her.

The court heard that over time, Bonnick Anderson, under the guise of operating a West Indian store, incurred a debt of $3,267,941 from the complainant by allegedly falsely representing herself as the owner of Bonnick West Indian Grocery Store, contrary to section 36 of the Larceny Act.

The complainant, a small business owner, reportedly extended credit to the accused woman with the hope that the owed amount would be repaid. However, payment was not forthcoming.

In response to the allegations, Bonnick Anderson’s defence counsel stated that upon learning of the accusations, his client promptly paid CAN$ 6,000 (J$627,600) to the complainant.

Bonnick Anderson, detained by police at Norman Manley International Airport upon her arrival in the country on Monday, is reportedly pregnant and receiving treatment in Canada for a specific condition, her defence attorney informed the court while seeking bail for his client.

However, the Crown opposed bail, citing her dual citizenship as evidence of a potential flight risk.

Furthermore, the investigating officer noted that additional individuals have come forward to file complaints against Bonnick Anderson, with expectations of more cases being brought before the court.

Despite the defence’s efforts, Judge Cole-Montague remanded Bonnick Anderson until February 20, when the case will be mentioned. Additionally, she ordered that disclosure of the court documents be provided to the defence team by February 9.