MONTEGO BAY, St James — Romaine Christie, who said he stole to help pay for his mother’s medical bills, has taken a step toward resolving his legal troubles. He faces a charge of simple larceny for stealing three Samsung phones valued
at $573,000 in a September 2025 Montego Bay incident.

Christie has now paid $40,000 toward reimbursing the complainant, marking an important development in the case.

According to court records, Christie examined the phones in a store before suddenly fleeing with all three, prompting his arrest shortly afterward. The case drew attention not only because of the high value of the stolen devices but also because of Christie’s personal circumstances.

At an earlier hearing, his father appeared before the court and asked for leniency, promising to cover the cost of the stolen phones.

Christie told the court that he stole the phones and sold them to assist his mother, who was preparing for eye surgery.

However, judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, who was presiding at the time, pressed Christie on the matter, noting that although he had received money from selling the phones, it had not been used for the surgery. Christie replied that the procedure had to be postponed because his mother’s blood pressure was too high, preventing her from undergoing the operation.

The case was subsequently referred to mediation, where Christie agreed to begin reimbursing the complainant. With $40,000 already paid toward the total cost, the effort marked an important step in addressing the financial impact of the theft. As is normal in such cases, the matter could still proceed to trial if full compensation is not made.

On Wednesday, the presiding judge, Kaysha Grant-Pryce, set the matter.

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