By Latrishka Thomas
Prayers were not enough to help an embattled pastor in his committal hearing on Friday morning.
Gavin Otto will have to face a High Court judge sometime after September to answer to several allegations of fraud.
The All Saints resident, who is charged with several counts of fraudulent conversion and obtaining money by false pretences, had six of his matters committed in the St John’s Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
It is alleged that he obtained money from at least six individuals for different services which he failed to provide.
In one instance, the 41-year-old is alleged to have taken $16,000 from a woman in exchange for two 40ft storage containers in February 2021.
However, after several months had passed she reportedly never received the containers.
In August of that same year, she is said to have contacted the defendant who gave her a cheque that bounced.
Reports further state that the defendant acted surprised when he found out and then delivered only one of the containers the woman had paid for.
It is also alleged that between July 4 and August 26 2022, the accused exchanged a number of cheques at the Bridge Service station totalling over $20,000, but all of them were returned to the gas station owner due to insufficient funds on the defendant’s account.
According to reports, in October officers obtained a search warrant and when they went to the accused’s home, Otto was observed jumping a fence and running into some bushes.
The police were reportedly able to apprehend him and a number of receipts and cheque stubs were apparently found in his house.
On July 13 last year, the accused convinced another individual to purchase building materials from him.
Otto reportedly only delivered $30,000 worth of materials, then said he needed money to clear the rest.
He was allegedly paid $99,000 but never provided the materials, and when contacted by the complainant, he is said to have given him a $69,000 cheque which bounced.
Similarly, in September 2022, a man was reportedly speaking to a friend in a bar about needing to purchase some steel and the defendant overheard the conversation and told them that, given his profession, he could purchase steel at a discount.
The man allegedly paid $16,000 for four bundles of steel but he only received two.
The accused also allegedly scammed VEG International Hardware Store and another individual out of thousands of dollars.
Those six matters were sent to the higher court where Otto could be arraigned any time after September 2023.
Otto is presently behind bars having had his bail revoked two weeks ago when a new allegation of fraud was brought before the court.
He is now on remand at His Majesty’s Prison and is awaiting his committal hearing for the other matter.
