MOCA, FID CHARGE THREE PERSONS IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD CASE

The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) and the Financial Investigations Division (FID), with assistance from the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch of the JCF (CTOC), and the Montego Bay and Ferry Police, have charged three suspects who were arrested last week in connection with a multi-million dollar fraud investigation affecting a number of financial institutions across the island.

The three suspects who were nabbed following a series of coordinated operations across several parishes between January 13 and 16, are alleged to have carried out an elaborate and highly sophisticated multi-million-dollar fraud scheme between January 2023 and April 2024, through the submission of fraudulently obtained genuine documents and fraudulent identification documents. The three allegedly assumed the identities of multiple individuals with varying occupations to bypass security protocols and identity confirmation measures at a number of institutions in the financial sector.

MOCA has charged 30 year-old Chloe Douett, medical doctor of Cherry Gardens, Kingston, with Uttering Forged Documents, Demanding Property on Forged Documents, Conspiracy to Defraud and Failure to Safely Store a Firearm. The FID has charged 29 year-old Ivana Campbell, Executive Assistant of Cedar Grove, Portmore and 44 year-old Dwayne Pitter, unemployed of Olympic Gardens, Kingston, with Breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), the Larceny Act, the Forgery Act, and the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act, as well as Conspiracy to Defraud at Common Law.

According to Major Basil Jarrett, Director of Communications at MOCA, the arrests represent a major breakthrough in a very unique fraud case that has been under investigation by MOCA and the FID, for over 18 months.

“This is one of the most elaborate, complex and brazen fraud schemes we have seen to date. The suspects relied on unprecedented levels of identity manipulation to defeat institutional safeguards and defraud legitimate financial institutions of hundreds of millions of dollars. These arrests mark a significant breakthrough in the investigation and are the result of sustained intelligence work and careful financial analysis by MOCA, the FID and our partners”.

In praising the efforts of the MOCA team, Major Jarrett said these arrests underscore the Agency’s commitment and capacity to pursue complex financial crimes, regardless of how elaborate they are, and sends a clear signal that MOCA, working in collaboration with its partners, has the capacity to pursue criminals who believe sophisticated fraud places them beyond the reach of the law.”

He also thanked the FID, who partnered with MOCA, as well as CTOC and the Montego Bay and Ferry Police who supported the investigation and operations. Major Jarrett is also inviting anyone with information on this and other financial and organised crimes to report it to MOCA’s tip line at 888-MOCA-TIP (888-662-2647).