KINGSTON, Jamaica — A customs broker who was sentenced in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Friday, July 11, 2025, for his role in a $12 million credit card fraud operation targeting the Government’s customs revenue system is set to be released in November.

After pleading guilty to all charges, Nathiel Graham, 44, was sentenced to a combined 44 years for engaging in a transaction involving criminal property (six counts – two years each); fraudulent conversion (eight counts – three years each); and obtaining money by means of false pretence (four counts – two years each).

The sentences are to run concurrently meaning that Graham, who has been in custody since his 2022 arrest, will serve a maximum three years in prison. As such, he is expected to be released in November 2025.

A statement from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service credited a joint investigation by the Financial Investigations Division (FID) and the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) for the successful conviction.

Reports are that a complaint was made by the JCA to the FID concerning suspicious activities on its E-payment platform, used for the payment of customs duties on imported motor vehicles and goods.

Graham was found to have fraudulently used credit card information from five individuals to make payments totalling $12,054,933.35. These unauthorised transactions triggered chargebacks from financial institutions, resulting in significant financial losses to the state.

In commenting on the outcome, Courtney Smith, FID’s senior director of legal services, noted: “This case illustrates how fraudsters attempt to exploit Government systems to their own advantage, robbing the country of vital revenue streams in the process. But it also demonstrates what can be achieved through strong institutional collaboration.”