By Latrishka Thomas
Former radio show contributor Janice Samuel has admitted to the 19 fraud charges brought against her from crimes she committed in 2019.
Yesterday, Samuel told High Court Judge Colin Williams that she did in fact commit five counts of fraud and 14 of obtaining money by virtue of a forged instrument – but said she did it due to financial difficulties and the need to assist her children in the UK.
Samuel, who is in her late 40s, stole $107,119.27 from plumbing firm H2One Limited where she worked as an office assistant between March 15 and July 7 2019.
In July 2019, after Samuel was convicted of a previous crime of embezzlement, her employer sent her home for a few days while reconsidering her employment.
While preparing payroll, he observed that there were insufficient funds in the account and decided to look into the matter.
He found that over a dozen cheques had been paid out.
The employer told the police that he had never filled out any sums on those cheques, nor approved their payments, and his staff knew that his approval was required.
Samuel is said to have prepared the cheques and issued them to an associate of hers who was not affiliated with the company.
They were allegedly cashed at a gas station by the individual, but when questioned he said he did not know he was involved in a crime.
Samuel corroborated the fact that her associate did not know that he was involved in anything nefarious. She said she told him that she was owed money by her workplace but wouldn’t have time to change the cheques.
The former media personality went on to question why this happened to her, adding that it will never happen to her again.
Samuel will be sentenced on May 4. The offences of forgery and obtaining money by virtue of a forged instrument each carry 14-year maximum sentences.