By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
SIX people, including a juvenile, were arraigned before Senior Magistrate Kendra Kelly on multiple fraud-related charges.
Teofilo Antonio Tavarez, 56, Ruslen Berroa Espinosa, 38, and Larny Estefania Tavarez Nova, 32, were each charged with two counts of possession of a forged document, two counts of uttering a forged document, and fraud by false pretences.
A 17-year-old Haitian male faced a single charge of possessing a false document, while he, along with Ricardo Pyfrom, 53, and Silian Dorelin, 43, was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences.
Prosecutors allege that between April 25 and May 10, 2024, Tavarez, Espinosa, and Nova used fake registration certificates and fraudulent immigration letters to obtain Bahamian passports from the Passport Office.
The teenager is accused of using a fake Bahamian passport to obtain a new one on June 13, 2024. Additionally, he and Pyfrom and Dorelin allegedly conspired to defraud the Passport Office between May 30 and June 13, 2024.
All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution noted that Tavarez and Nova both held valid work permits.
Senior Magistrate Kelly granted bail for Tavarez, Nova, and Espinosa at $6,000 each, with one or two sureties. They must report to their respective police stations every Thursday by 6pm.
Pyfrom and Dorelin were granted bail at $4,000 each, also requiring one or two sureties, and must sign in at their local police stations on the first Monday of each month.
The teenager was remanded into custody until his bail hearing on February 12. Tavarez’s trial is set for May 27, while Espinosa and Nova are scheduled to appear in court on May 23. The trial for the juvenile, Pyfrom, and Dorelin is set for May 19.
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