The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS 

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Urban Renewal Deputy Director Michelle Reckley was charged yesterday with defrauding the government of $1,255,637.83 via the Urban Renewal Small Homes Repair programme in Grand Bahama.

Reckley, 58, was arraigned alongside five others – James Hall, 49; Kylon Vincent, 26; Christopher Symonette, 59; Stefanie Collie, 27; and Joseph Lightbourne, 40 – all appearing before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt where they entered not guilty pleas to 59 total charges.

Reckley faces 21 charges. She stands accused of laundering $317,822.18; attempting to launder $172,646.18; extorting another $71,062.18 and engaging in corrupt deals valued at $230,000.

It is alleged that Reckley and Hall between Monday December 5, 2016 and Monday April 24, 2017 conspired to defraud the government.

It is further alleged that the pair, between Friday December 9, 2016 and Tuesday April 25, 2017 defrauded the government of $1,255,637.83 via nine cheques.

The cheques were payments made out to Hall’s Distinctive Builders enterprise for contracts given under the government’s Small Homes Repair programme in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew by means of false pretences, it is alleged.

Reckley is further accused of converting the sums of $30,000 on or about Wednesday, November 30, 2016; $11,062.18 on or about Friday, December 30, 2016; and $200,000 on or about Monday March 20, 2017, to conceal that they were the proceeds of her criminal conduct.

Additionally, she is accused of transferring $47,760 between Monday, March 20, 2017 and Friday, June 16, 2017 to Collie; $26,000 between Friday, March 17, 2017 and Saturday, May 13, 2017 to Vincent; and another $3,000 on or about Friday, April 7, 2017 to James Wildgoose, via her personal CIBC bank account.

She is also accused of attempting to transfer two cheques totalling $172,646.18 from her personal CIBC bank account to her Teachers and Salaried Workers Credit Union account on or about Friday, July 13, 2017.

Reckley is also facing three extortion charges related to her receipt of $11,062.18 on or about Friday, December 30, 2016 from Symonette; $30,000 on or about Wednesday, November 30, 2016 and another $30,000 on or about March 20, 2017 from Hall.

As it relates to her two charges of corrupt transactions with agents, Reckley stands accused of accepting $200,000 on or about Monday, March 20, and $30,000 on or about Friday November 30, 2016 as reward for assisting Hall in obtaining a home repair contract and a contract for the repair the Bartlette Hill Primary School respectively.

Hall, for his part, also faced six money laundering charges stemming from transfers he made to the business account of Christopher Symonette between December 16, 2016 and May 2, 2017.

The transfers ranged in amounts from $72,995 and $439,500.

Hall was further charged with two counts of corrupt transactions with agents for his alleged payments to Reckley. He faces 17 charges in total.

Vincent was charged with two counts of assisting to conceal money laundering, one count of money laundering and two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Symonette was charged with two counts of assisting to conceal money laundering, two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Collie was charged with two counts each of assisting to conceal money laundering, three counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy.

Lightbourn, for his part, was charged with five counts of abetment to fraud.

Minister of Social Services Frankie Campbell is among the witnesses listed on court dockets.

Shortly after their arraignments at the Nassau Street Magistrate’s Court complex, the accused were transferred to the Supreme Court where they were granted bail in the amount of $9,000 each.

Collie, Vincent, Lightbourn, and Hall are required to report to police three times a week, while Reckley and Symonette are mandated to report once per month as a part of their bail conditions.

Reporters and a large contingent of PLP supporters were barred from the bail proceedings, however former Prime Minister Perry Christie and his wife Bernadette were among those allowed in by Justice Grant-Thompson.

Attorneys Owen Wells and Jomo Campbell appeared for Symonette.

Attorneys Wayne Munroe, QC, Damian Gomez, QC, and Anthony McKinney appeared for Collie, Reckley and Vincent.

Attorneys Simeon Brown and Simon Brown appeared for Joseph Lightbourn.

It is unclear who represents Hall.

Eucal Bonaby and Kendra Kelly appeared as chief counsel and senior counsel for the prosecution respectively.

The matter is adjourned to March 18 for a status hearing.