By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
FOUR people, including a former senior Water and Sewerage Corporation superintendent, denied 83 fraud-related charges on Friday over the alleged theft of about $546,820 from the corporation between 2019 and 2020.
Former WSC senior superintendent Trevor Roberts, 62, pleaded not guilty to 45 charges before Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns.
He was arraigned alongside Marvin Scavella, 58, and husband and wife Romel Rolle, 55, and Vanessa Rolle, 53, who also pleaded not guilty to their respective charges.
The defendants face a combined 83 charges, including 16 counts of stealing by reason of employment, six counts of forgery, six counts of falsification of accounts, two counts of fraudulent breach of trust, 12 counts of money laundering by acquisition, three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences and 38 counts of stealing by reason of service.
Roberts faces three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences, 12 counts of money laundering, six counts of falsification of accounts, six counts of forgery, two counts of fraudulent breach of trust and 16 counts of stealing by reason of employment.
Prosecutors allege Roberts conspired with others to defraud WSC between February 15, 2019, and June 15, 2020.
He is accused of fraudulently obtaining $29,043.50 from Invictus Trading between June 6 and September 9, 2019, and $35,880 from the company between September 9 and November 13, 2019.
Roberts allegedly acquired $17,880 on November 13, 2019, and another $7,093 on December 9, 2019.
He is also accused of falsifying and forging six invoices purporting to show payments to Kevin Cooper c/o Innovative General Maintenance between April 4 and August 20, 2019.
Prosecutors further allege Roberts appropriated $117,826.50 through false pretences between April 4, 2019, and June 15, 2020, and acquired $90,847.56 from WSC, payable to Shalom Development Company, between June 6, 2019, and June 3, 2020.
Roberts allegedly conspired with Scavella and Veronica Newbold, 74, to commit fraud between February 15, 2019, and June 15, 2020. The three are also accused of acquiring $18,673 from Invictus Trading between June 5 and June 25, 2019.
Roberts is further accused of conspiring with Vanessa and Romel Rolle to commit fraud between April 15, 2019, and June 4, 2020.
The Rolles allegedly stole $81,766 from WSC, payable to RGM Services, during that period.
The Rolles face charges of conspiracy to commit fraud by false pretences and 15 counts of stealing by reason of service, while Scavella faces separate fraud charges.
The case was transferred to Justice Neil Braithwaite, before whom the defendants are scheduled to appear for a trial date fixture on October 5.
Scavella requested a court-appointed attorney and raised concerns about receiving his alibi notice late.
Justice Archer-Minns told him he could address the issue with his attorney before trial.
Scavella, who remained seated throughout the lengthy reading of the charges and wore sunglasses, was assisted out of court by relatives.
Donna Major represented the Rolles, while Keod Smith represented Roberts.
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