The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA 

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

A 27-year-old Jamaican woman cried in court yesterday before being fined over $6,000 for swindling five women out of over $7,000 collectively for braces by posing as an orthodontist and operating under a fake name.

Santini Camille Kerr-Wilson sobbed as Magistrate Samuel McKinney fined her a total of $6,500 for swindling her five victims out of a collective $7,196 between February 26 and March 1 while operating under the pseudonym Dr Nicole Wilson.

Of that sum, $2,500 represents her fines for swindling the five women; $3,000 represents her fines for advertising and practicing as a dentist without proper authorisation; and $1,000 represents her fines for acquiring and possessing the $7,196, which in part represented the proceeds of her criminal conduct.

Failure to pay the $2,500 – $500 on each count of fraud - would result in three months in prison; failure to pay the $3,000 would result in six months in prison; while failure to pay the $1,000 would result in three months in prison.

Kerr-Wilson was also ordered to compensate each of the women the $510 which she swindled out of them.

Prior to receiving her sentences, the St Anne’s, Jamaica native admitted to defrauding the women, namely Marissa Coakley, Derricka Crossman, Ellyneice Nottage, Latesa Whymms and Marienise Augustin each of $510 in exchange for braces.

She also admitted to advertising and practicing as a dentist despite knowing full well that she was not authorised, qualified, nor registered to do so. She also admitted to fraudulently using the title orthodontist in the furtherance of her crimes.

According to the summary of the facts, Dr Sparkman Ferguson, a licenced dentist and the Registrar General of the Bahamas Dentist Council, reported that on February 24 he received certain information concerning an advertisement about cosmetic braces, teeth whitening and fillings being offered.

Dr Ferguson subsequently looked into the advertisement and discovered that the person behind it was a woman by the name of “Nicole Wilson”. During that inquiry, “Nicole Wilson” identified herself as a dental hygienist offering services mentioned on the advertisement. However, when Dr Ferguson checked the registrar, he found that name was not registered to perform any orthodontic work in The Bahamas.

After further inquiry, it was discovered that the true name behind the advertisement was Santini Camille Kerr-Wilson. A check was also made of that name, which yielded a negative result from the registrar’s records.

An investigation was consequently launched into the matter, and the five complainants reported that on the dates previously mentioned, they each saw the woman who in turn offered services to them, and that she was an orthodontist. She offered each of them braces costing $510.

Acting on information, police officers executed a search warrant at the place Kerr-Wilson was staying, Comfort Suites hotel, where they discovered $7,196 along with brackets for braces, teeth whitening machines, wires and other instruments used to perform orthodontic work.

When interviewed, Kerr-Wilson admitted to being the owner of Italian braces and that she was licenced to sell the product, but said she wasn’t licenced to apply them on anyone. It was also revealed that the woman received a profit from her business in The Bahamas.

Her attorney, Nathan Smith, pleaded with the magistrate to not impose a custodial sentence on his client, as her offences were non-violent in nature and primarily focused on gaining a “financial advantage”. Mr Smith also submitted that Kerr-Wilson was willing and able to compensate the victims, and had learned from her mistakes.

Magistrate McKinney subsequently fined the woman and ordered her to repay the victims. The $7,196 was ordered forfeited to the Crown.

Inspector Phillip Davis prosecuted the matter.