Man has $4m fraud case dismissed after prosecution offers no evidence
ST JAMES, Jamaica — The prosecution last Thursday offered no evidence against Shavana Barrett who was charged after he allegedly used a mobile app to transfer almost $4 million from two people’s joint bank account.
Barrett made a brief appearance before presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton at the St James Parish Court. He was charged with breaching the Cybercrimes Act.
He was represented by attorney-at-law Dalton Reid.
Prior to the court hearing on Thursday, the complainants had stated that they no longer wanted to pursue the case. Due to the complainants’ request, the prosecution decided not to offer any evidence against Barrett and he was discharged.
Barrett has been accused of gaining access to the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) account of two people – a male and a female – in September 2023 and fraudulently removing $3,974,483 without their knowledge or permission.
He allegedly gained access through the female complainant’s cell phone, unlocking the phone and accessing the BNS app from which he transferred money to multiple accounts. The court was told that the phone was given to the accused, but it was not stated why.
The court was also told that when Barrett allegedly gained access, the male account holder contacted the female account holder and enquired about the transfers. She replied that she had no knowledge of them.
Shortly after, the bank called her to enquire about the transfers and she stated that she was not responsible, and filed a police report.
Another defendant, Jowayne Gardener, was charged alongside Barrett, but it was unclear what role he played. The charges against him were also dismissed because the complainants no longer wanted to pursue the case.
