MONTEGO BAY, St James — What started as a seemingly simple online car deal took a costly twist for St James resident Jermaine Stewart. He entered a guilty plea when he appeared in the parish court last Wednesday, facing charges of fraudulent conversion.

Court records show that in May the complainant, looking to buy a car, connected with Stewart via TikTok, where he was advertising a vehicle for sale. They agreed on $1,050,000 for a 2020 Toyota C-HR said to be at a Kingston wharf.

The payments came in stages: an initial downpayment of $40,000 was made on June 25, followed by $441,000 and US$1,840 on June 29 as part payment.

On July 1, Stewart claimed the car’s battery was faulty, prompting the complainant to send an additional $10,000.

Despite these payments, the promised vehicle never appeared. Stewart later informed the complainant that he had sold the car to someone else. When he failed to return the funds, she reported the matter to the police. This resulted in Stewart’s arrest and the subsequent charge.

In court, Stewart claimed that he had intended to refund the money but ran into difficulties doing so.

Presiding Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton ordered a social enquiry report as well as Stewart’s criminal records and remanded him in custody.

Stewart is scheduled for sentencing on November 26, 2025.