Woman avoids jail time despite stealing $130K using co-worker’s bank card
MONTEGO BAY, St James — In a case marked by calculated deceit and financial betrayal, 25-year-old Shericka Whyte was spared immediate imprisonment when she appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.
The woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison at hard labour — suspended for two years under supervision — after pleading guilty to 15 counts of simple larceny.
The charges stemmed from an incident on May 2, when Whyte’s co-worker discovered that $130,000 had vanished from her bank account. The money had been siphoned off through 15 unauthorised PayPal transactions linked to an online store.
Investigators traced the fraudulent activity to Whyte, who had previously been questioned by presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton during an earlier court appearance.
At that time, the judge asked her how she had obtained the complainant’s banking details. Whyte admitted that during her colleague’s lunch break, she accessed the woman’s locker and took photographs of her bank card — details she later used to make online purchases.
She explained that financial hardship had driven her to act, stating that she intended to sell the items and maintained it was her first offence.
Whyte also alleged that the complainant had e-mailed her, urging her to cancel the transactions before the matter reached the police. According to her, she complied, the items were never shipped, and PayPal confirmed a refund. However, the complainant denied being reimbursed.
In court on Wednesday, judge Fairclough-Hylton gave Whyte one last opportunity to speak.
“Is there anything you would like to say before I sentence you?” the judge asked.
“I have nothing to say,” Whyte replied.
The judge then delivered the sentence: “In respect of the 15 counts of simple larceny, the sentence of this court is 18 months in prison at hard labour.”
Whyte quickly pleaded for leniency, asking if there was an alternative. She expressed willingness to repay the stolen funds and emphasised that she was not a danger to society.
“It’s the first time I am doing anything like this,” she said.
After considering her plea and lack of prior convictions, the judge suspended the prison term for two years, with mandatory supervision.
