By Latrishka Thomas
A former police officer is awaiting sentencing after he admitted to nine counts of obtaining money by false pretences.
On several occasions between November 2019 and January 2020, Joshua Quinland, with intent to defraud either on his own or by asking someone to act on his behalf, presented to and cashed several ECAB cheques at the M & M 24 Hours Complex Ltd, knowing that he did not have sufficient funds on his account to honour the cheques.
The nine cheques were worth more than $18,000.
The accused also pleaded guilty to similar charges in another matter.
In early 2019, the complainant contacted Quinland who had a business where he ordered cars for interested parties.
The complainant ordered a bus and two cars for which he paid $22,735 and was told in August of that year that the vehicles were en route to Antigua. However, he was not shown any documents.
The complainant was supposed to receive the vehicles by November 2019, but he never did.
That month, Quinland gave the complainant an ECAB cheque for $3,000 and requested $1,000 cash back.
The cheque was immediately deposited on the complainant’s Scotiabank account and he withdrew $1,000 in cash and gave it to the accused.
But within a few days, the complainant was notified by his bank that the cheque was returned due to insufficient funds.
Having not received the vehicles or a refund by May 2020, the complainant reported the matter to the police.
Now Quinland, who had recently been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for fraud, could suffer a similar fate when sentenced on February 17.