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ST JAMES, Jamaica – A member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force has been interdicted after a woman was shot and killed in Granville, St James on Sunday.
The Police high Command made the announcement in a release late Sunday, stating that it is “deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding” the incident.
“The matter has been immediately reported to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and the Inspectorate Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB), which have now commenced a full investigation into the incident. Having reviewed preliminary information, including CCTV, the High Command has ordered the immediate interdiction of the member involved,” it stated.
Granville resident Latoya Bulgin, otherwise called “Buju”, was shot and killed in an alleged confrontation with a member of the security forces.
However, the incident was captured in video garnered from CCTV in area.
The footage shows a black Toyota Voxy that Bulging was driving to what residents say was a protest in downtown Montego Bay in relation to the death of 17-year-old Tjey Edwards last week Sunday, allegedly by a member of the security forces.
The vehicle was stopped in Granville Square where others in the vehicle could be seen disembarking shortly after the police engaged the occupants of the vehicle. Just seconds later, the Voxy moved out onto the roadway when a explosion was heard after the JCF member pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the vehicle.
The police could be seen taking the injured woman from the vehicle following which she was taken to hospital in a JCF service vehicle.
Irate residents have accused the police of murder in the inident.
Member of Parliament for St James West Central, Marlene Malahoo Forte was soon on the scene and was later seen engaging with residents where she urged them to not carry out any actions that may lead to consequences for the community.
“This is not right and I know that the community is angry, grieving and searching for answers. The good thing is that the investigation is being assisted by camera footage and the investigation has proceeded swiftly,” she said.
“I want to ask you to stay on the right side of the law, I don’t want any response in the community to result in a suppression of anything,” she appealed.
Malahoo Forte said that she knows that the residents are angry but they should not let that get the better of them. She told them that she will be working to ensure that the investigations are done and the truth comes to light.
The High Command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has ordered the immediate interdiction of the policeman involved in Sunday afternoon’s fatal shooting of a woman in Granville, St James.
The woman, identified only as Buju, was shot and killed during a protest to highlight an incident in which a 17-year-old boy was killed a week ago in another shooting incident involving the police.
According to reports, the woman got into an altercation with the police, who were in the community monitoring the protest, and was shot.
In a media release on Sunday evening, the High Command said it was “deeply concerned” about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
It said the matter has been reported to the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and the Inspectorate Professional Standards Oversight Bureau (IPROB), which have now commenced a full investigation into the incident.
It further stated that having reviewed preliminary information, including CCTV, the immediate interdiction of the member involved was ordered.
“While the investigation is ongoing, the JCF wishes to make it unequivocally clear that any action by a member which even appears to fall outside the law, outside established operational standards, or outside the professional values of the organisation will attract decisive institutional response,” the High Command said.
It continued: “The overwhelming majority of the men and women of the JCF serve honourably under some of the most difficult and dangerous conditions imaginable. The incident today must therefore not be conflated with the legitimate and lawful use of force exercised daily by police personnel in the execution of their duties and in defence of life.”
The High Command said the JCF remains resolute in its commitment to accountability and professionalism.
“The Force recognises the importance of due process and will allow the independent investigation now underway to proceed without prejudice or interference,” it said. x1200
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2026.5.16 St Catherine man charged with double murder committed 12 years ago
St Catherine engineer, 63-year-old Solomon Powell, has been charged with the murder of two men in the parish 12 years ago.
He was charged following a ruling from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on Tuesday.
Powell, also known as ‘Salla’, of Windsor Heights, Central Village, has been charged with two counts of murder, illegal possession of firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
He is accused of killing 58-year-old Livingston Garvey and 26-year-old Mario Cross, both of Cherry district, Linstead, St Catherine.
Reports are that about 5:30 p.m. on March 7, 2014, the men were seated in a motor car in the vicinity of a roundabout in St Catherine when the accused drove up in a Honda Prelude motor car and had a conversation with the victims.
Powell then allegedly fired shots hitting both men in the head. He then drove away.
Garvey and Cross were later pronounced dead.
2026.5.15 Man accused of stabbing Excelsior student turns himself in
The man accused of stabbing a 13-year-old Excelsior High School student during a family dispute in Harbour View has surrendered to the police.
He has been identified as 29-year-old Kemar Mitchell, who reportedly turned himself in to investigators assigned to the Kingston East Police Division on Thursday evening.
Mitchell is expected to be questioned by detectives today.
The incident, which sparked outrage across social media, happened about 10 p.m. on May 9 at the teen’s Bayshore Park home in Harbour View, St Andrew.
The injured child, Kemelia Paul, a seventh-grade student, was allegedly stabbed during a confrontation involving members of her family.
“My daughter and another relative try fi part the fight and push him off,” the teen’s mother, Josephine Mitchell, told The STAR earlier this week.
The teenager has reportedly undergone two surgeries so far, with more medical procedures pending.
Police investigations into the incident are ongoing.
2026.5.15 J’can sentenced to three years in US prison for US$600,000 lottery scam
TACOMA, United States – A Jamaican man who was extradited to the United States (US) on lottery scam charges in 2025 was sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday.
Roshard Andrew Carty,34, was sentenced in a US District Court in Tacoma after pleading guilty to a lottery scheme that cost an elderly victim more than $600,000, the United States Attorney’s office said on Friday.
According to records filed in the case, Carty first contacted the 73-year-old southwest Washington victim in 2020. He posed as an employee of Publisher’s Clearinghouse and claimed the victim won $22 million and a car in the lottery, but that she needed to pay taxes and fees to access her winnings. He convinced the victim that the FBI was recording the call and told her she was not to tell anyone about the big win.
Between August 2020 and February 2024, he convinced the victim to send more than $600,000 to various money couriers throughout the United States, who ultimately sent the money to Carty in Jamaica.
Carty was arrested in Jamaica on August 21, 2025, and arrived in the Western District of Washington for arraignment on October 23, 2025; he pleaded guilty in February 2026.
US District Judge Tiffany Cartwright said, “Even as [the victim] hesitated and tried to resist,” Carty persisted in contacting her through a variety of means.
“This defendant was relentless in defrauding a vulnerable victim,” said First Assistant US Attorney Neil Floyd. “At every turn when she tried to end the contact, he persisted in playing on her isolation and her fear of losing the money she had already lost. He stole the money she was counting on to survive in retirement, so that he could buy luxuries and live large in Jamaica. It is despicable conduct deserving of this punishment.”
Case documents revealed that Carty’s requests for cash started small and grew over time. He directed the victim to remove small amounts of cash from her accounts and send them to US locations via FedEx.
Carty told the victim the money was lost or stolen and demanded more. He told the victim to borrow against her home so she could send more money and convinced the victim to sell her home to cover additional “costs and fees” to claim her prize
Prosecutors say Carty was relentless in contacting the victim using various phone numbers and texting programs, contacting her thousands of times throughout the fraud.
When she tried to cut off contact, he tried sending tow trucks, and pizza deliveries, and asked her landlord for a welfare check to try to get back in touch with the victim.
“Mr Carty relentlessly and cruelly manipulated and intimidated his elderly victim to deprive her of her life savings for his own profit,” said Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office.
“His lies in pursuit of her money even went so far as to abuse the trust and credibility of law enforcement by claiming the FBI was recording a call. Ultimately, the victim lost her home without receiving any of the fictitious prize money Mr Carty had promised. We hope this case sends a message to would-be lottery scammers that the FBI will work just as relentlessly with our partners to hold fraudsters accountable, even when they reside beyond the borders of the United States.”
The southwest Washington victim was not the only one uncovered by law enforcement, and investigators fear Carty may return to fraud after his prison term.
As the government pointed out in its sentencing memorandum, “Carty’s conduct here shows he is relentless, callous, and has an aptitude for deception—he is unlikely to be deterred by the reality that his conduct left people like Victim 1 destitute. Carty knew Victim 1, Victim 2, and likely others were insolvent because of him, and yet he persisted in his scam. And unlike with US-based defendants, the US Probation Office cannot effectively monitor Carty when he returns home.”
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2026.5.17 Person of interest in American tourist’s death now in custody
A St James man who was being sought in connection with the death of an American tourist last month turned himself in to the St Mary police on Friday.
The man was being sought by investigators probing the death of Melissa Kerry Samnath, who was killed hours after arriving in the island to celebrate her 37th birthday.
Investigators believe Samnath met the man online before meeting hims for the first time in April when she arrived in the island.
According to investigators, on April 29, Samnath was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, suffering from multiples injuries, but she was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy performed on May 6 confirmed that she died from multiple blunt-force trauma injuries to the head.
The story of the apparent meet-up-gone-wrong, which was detailed in last week’s edition of The Sunday Gleaner, sent shockwaves through the country.
Surveillance footage showed Samnath leaving her Airbnb with a man and her suitcases on the night she arrived in the island. It is not known whether she left the property voluntarily.
She later sent a message to relatives in the US: “I need you to call the cops. Look at my location … It is a pink house.”
It was the last time her family heard from her. They were later advised of her death via a phone call.
Investigators found blood and some of her belongings at person of interest’s apartment in a pink apartment complex in Montego Bay.
Neighbours said they did not hear any screams or signs of distress coming from the apartment that night.
Last Friday, accompanied by family members, he reported to the police after eluding several dragnets.
“We received intelligence that [he] was willing to surrender to the police, but that he was fearful for his safety,” commented Anthony Wallace, superintendent of police for the St Mary Police Division.
He added: “Following coordination between the police and the family, [he] was safely escorted to the Gayle Police Station, where he was formally handed over to investigators without incident.”
Samnath, who was an accountant, was described as a humble person and the baby of her family, who never did anything cruel or evil to anyone.
It was unclear whether the man had been charged up to press time last night.
A Queens woman was allegedly murdered while celebrating her birthday in Jamaica — after leaving her family a chilling final message urging them to “call the cops.”
Melissa Kerry Samnath died from blunt force head injuries at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James, Jamaica, on her 35th birthday, April 29, the Jamaica Constabulary Force announced on Facebook.
Police have now launched a manhunt for the Big Apple accountant’s husband, Dane Watson, who was identified as a person of interest.
Samnath’s haunting final words came just hours before Watson dropped her off outside the hospital with fatal injuries and took off, according to the Jamaica Gleaner.
“I need you to call the cops,” she wrote over WhatsApp shortly before 11 p.m. the night before her death. “Look at my location. It is a pink house.”
Watson allegedly later confessed to his mom.
“His mother called to tell us she got a phone call from him saying he killed her and dropped her off in a wheelchair at the hospital,” the dead woman’s niece, Janice Wynter, told the Gleaner.
“He didn’t even have the audacity to take her into the hospital.”
Meanwhile, the dead woman’s sister said she knew little about her new brother-in-law despite having the two siblings being close.
“She was my best friend,” Liza Samnath told The Post. “That’s my baby sister. She had an outgoing personality.”
Samnath landed on the Caribbean island earlier that day for a trip to celebrate her 35th birthday, only to be dumped at the hospital, where she would die.
Police launched an investigation into her death after finding undisclosed evidence at a home in St. James Parish, near Montego Bay, on the Northwest end of the island. Officials did not say what that was.
Cops also found pools of blood and some of Samnath’s belongings inside the house, the Gleaner reported.
Watson is now sought as a person of interest in the case.
The couple had been spotted on surveillance footage walking from Samnath’s Airbnb to Watson’s residence as he carried her suitcase hours before her death.
Watson and Samnath are believed to have married in December, according to police. They reportedly met online before Samnath first traveled to Jamaica to meet him.
“She didn’t deserve that,” Wynter added, describing her aunt as “one of the most loving persons ever.”
The suspected brutal murder shocked the quiet neighborhood of Norwood, with residents on alert for the wanted man.
“There was a whole heap of blood in his house in Norwood. Him beat her badly, man. Beat her in her head,” a neighbor told the outlet. “The police are looking for him, but they still haven’t received any breakthroughs.”
“There is a murderer on the run, and he is clearly in an area with a lot of tourists. He is dangerous. Women need to be careful because you don’t know what he is capable of,” Wynter said.
Samnath’s family confirmed her death in a GoFundMe on May 4.
“Melissa was a strong, loving, and unforgettable woman whose warmth touched everyone around her,” the family wrote. “She loved traveling, exploring new places, and spending time with the people she cared for most. Her loss has left a deep pain in our family that words cannot fully express.”
The family was using the funds to pay for funeral expenses, with the remaining cash going towards supporting organizations that assist victims of domestic violence in Samnath’s name.
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2026.5.13 Four STETHS schoolgirls charged after series of fights
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Police have charged four St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) students with assaulting occasioning bodily harm reportedly committed against their 15-year-old schoolmate last Wednesday.
The assault occurred during a series of fights which resulted in the school being shuttered for two days last week.
Police said the incidents happened between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm last Wednesday at STETHS.
Police said two of the schoolgirls charged are both aged 14 while the others are ages 16 and 13.
On Monday STETHS Principal Keith Wellington told the Observer Online that several reports are to be provided to oversight bodies before a decision is made about action against those involved in the schoolyard brawls.
Last Wednesday, Wellington told parents and guardians that classes had to be suspended at the school due to a series of incidents on campus.
He said then that the action had been taken to protect the safety of all members of the school community and ensure that provisions were made to maintain discipline.
At that time sources told the Observer Online that the decision to shutter the campus to only students sitting external exams and some preparing for sporting competitions, stemmed from the multiple fights — one of which allegedly involved a student with a knife — on Wednesday.
Reports are that mid-morning Wednesday a student was injured during a confrontation which required the intervention of the police.
The sources say, following that incident, several other fights broke out at the school including some in the presence of senior administrators.
2026.4.30 MOCA ARRESTS KEY PLAYER IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MORTGAGE FRAUD CASE
The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) has arrested another suspect in the multi-million dollar mortgage fraud which targeted several financial institutions across the island between January 2023 and April 2024.
The 36 year-old suspect was arrested on Wednesday April 29 at the Kingston Central Police Station where he was reporting on pre-charge bail for the offences of Breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and conspiracy to defraud. He is the fourth person to be arrested in connection with the fraud, following the arrest and charge of 30-year-old Chloe Douett, medical doctor of Cherry Gardens, Kingston, 29 year-old Ivana Campbell, Executive Assistant of Cedar Grove, Portmore, and 44 year old Dwayne Pitter, unemployed of Olympic Gardens, Kingston.
All four are accused of being part of an organized criminal syndicate that carried out an elaborate and highly sophisticated multi-million-dollar fraud scheme against several banks and financial institutions between January 2023 and April 2024. The suspects are alleged to have carried out the fraud through the submission of fraudulently obtained genuine documents and fraudulent identification documents which allowed them to bypass security protocols and identity confirmation measures at the banks.
In January, MOCA charged Douett with Uttering Forged Documents, Demanding Property on Forged Documents, Conspiracy to Defraud and Failure to Safely Store a Firearm. The agency also charged Pitter with breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act, the Forgery Act and Conspiracy to Defraud at Common Law, in relation to similar but separate conduct.
Campbell and Pitter were also charged by the Financial Investigations Division (FID) with Breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), the Larceny Act, the Forgery Act, and the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions and Special Provisions) Act, as well as Conspiracy to Defraud at Common Law.
The latest suspect is expected to be charged shortly.
According to Major Basil Jarrett, Director of Communications at MOCA, “today’s arrest is an important breakthrough for MOCA’s investigation but is not the end of the road. We are continuing our close work with our FID partners in order to ensure that everyone involved in this highly sophisticated and elaborate crime is placed before the courts”. He also thanked the FID and the various JCF entities who supported the investigation, operations and arrests.
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.
2026.4.28 St Elizabeth man fatally stabbed, 19-y-o son in custody
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Police are reporting that a teenager is in custody following the stabbing death of his father in Mountainside, St Elizabeth on Tuesday.
Police named the victim as Gary Allwood, 53, a resident of Love Lane district in Mountainside.
Preliminary reports are that about 1:00 pm, the father and son had an argument when a knife and a pair of scissors were used to stab Allwood.
He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.
The man’s 19-year-old son was subsequently taken into police custody and is the primary suspect in the homicide, police say.
Taxi operators are being urged to exercise greater caution when travelling and conducting business, especially at night, following a chilling development in the murder investigation of University of Technology, Jamaica, student, Michael Patterson.
Head of the St Catherine North Police, Senior Superintendent Hopton Nicholson, issued a strong warning in the wake of murder and firearm charges being laid against two individuals accused of killing the inDrive operator.
“We just want to tell persons generally, tell others of your whereabouts and just be very careful. Even regular taxi operators, you know, just be very careful and cautious when taking on certain trips in certain areas, especially at night,” Nicholson said.
Barbara Gardner, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, and Tevin Austin, 31, mason, both of Manchester, were charged with murder, robbery with aggravation, possession of a prohibited weapon, unauthorised possession of ammunition, using a firearm to commit a felony, unauthorised access to computer data, and conspiracy to murder. They were previously charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property.
Patterson, 40, had been pursuing a Bachelor of Electrical and Computer Engineering while working as a security guard and an inDrive taxi operator to support himself. According to police reports, Patterson was last seen alive on February 20, after he was requested to transport passengers to the Hartlands area in Spanish Town. He was last seen alive sometime before 10 p.m. that night, and was reported missing. On February 23, his body was found in an early state of decomposition. Later that same day, lawmen intercepted his motor car in the Manchester Police Division, leading to the arrest of the two individuals now before the court. A post-mortem examination has since confirmed that Patterson died as a result of gunshot wounds.
Nicholson said the investigation spanned at least three parishes.
“We use technological aids and we use all that we needed to get the best evidence and at this time we are able to prefer charges and they will have their day in court.”
A Spanish Town family is appealing for public assistance to rebuild their lives after a fire razed their Old Market Street property on March 9, leaving 13 people, including seven children, homeless.
The inferno reportedly consumed six bedrooms and a small shop in the St Catherine capital, forcing the displaced residents into cramped and precarious living conditions. Seven family members are currently occupying a single room that escaped the flames, while three others are living in a makeshift shed on the premises. The remaining relatives, including a pregnant woman, have sought temporary shelter with friends.
Kennecia Richards, who lived on the property since she was five years old, described the emotional and financial toll on her family as “devastating”.
“Everybody is just traumatised,” Richards told The Gleaner. “My 20-year-old daughter, she’s going through a lot because she lost her job as well. All her stuff she was selling burn up, so she’s depressed. All of us are depressed.”
The family’s plight has been worsened by a series of setbacks in their attempt to rebuild.
Richards, who recently lost her job in the United States, where she has been living for the past two years, said she sent her “rainy day” savings home to begin repairs, but the effort was derailed by criminals.
She said the materials bought were stolen by men in the community, and a man hired to complete the job discontinued his services after a $100,000 deposit.
“This was money that I had for a rainy day. I had to take it out and I send it out there to try and get things going, and him take the money and gone,” she said.
“I’m depressed. I can’t help out the way I’m supposed to help my kids. This is where my kids were born. I have seven kids and five of them were born there. Five of them were born in that place. I had home deliveries with them. So everybody is feeling down and out,” said Richards, who revealed she moved to the property at age five.
She last visited in September.
She said the family turned to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, but noted that assistance came only in the form of a care package.
Richards said one of her daughters was given 2lb of rice, 2lb of sugar, one pack of Lasco, two tins of mackerel, and two tins of tuna.
“They said that’s a care package. No government [representative] come around, and as for the materials there, they are stealing them. The people are stealing them because I didn’t have any more money to get somebody,” she said.
She is appealing for help to “get just one room up”.
“We don’t have to have any furniture in it. Just one room for them to rest them head. Just somewhere for them to lay down, I would be happy,” said Richards.
Her daughter Kimonia Thomas, who also spoke to The Gleaner, said that on the fateful day a “small” bit of smoke was observed coming from one of the rooms on the property and that the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) was called.
She said after there was no response to the initial 1:23 p.m. telephone call, a second call was placed at 1:45 p.m.
Thomas said firefighters arrived some time after 3 p.m., but by then, “the entire place [was] already engulfed”.
She said the family lost most of their possessions, noting that this has caused a mental strain on them.
She said a letter received from the JFB was submitted to the NIS office in the town, and added that documents are to be submitted to Food For The Poor.
“So we haven’t really got much help, just like one and two assistance from people online, but it’s still not a lot. We’re not asking for assistance to complete the entire structure. Just for one bedroom to sustain us until we can do the rest,” said Thomas.
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2026.4.8 Newborn death sparks probe at Cornwall Regional Hospital
A heartbreaking tragedy at Cornwall Regional Hospital has triggered an urgent investigation after a newborn baby died under troubling circumstances, leaving a first-time mother and her family searching for answers.
The Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) confirmed that a full review is now underway into the incident, which has sent shockwaves through the public health system.
In a press release issued by WRHA, the hospital expressed “deep regret” over the outcome and said it has extended condolences to the 33-year-old first time mother, Shandale Ballentine, and her family.
“The Cornwall Regional Hospital is saddened by the outcome of the case involving the death of Shandale Ballentine’s baby and expresses sincere condolences to the patient and her affected family,” the statement read.
The case has drawn intense public attention following a report by The STAR, which outlined the distressing events leading up to the baby’s death. Ballentine, who was reportedly 38 weeks pregnant and considered high-risk, went into labour on Good Friday while under medical care.
Sources indicate that complications developed during delivery, and the baby did not survive.
Health authorities say the matter is being treated as a priority, with assurances that the probe will be thorough. The WRHA has pledged transparency throughout the process, while maintaining patient confidentiality, and says the findings will guide steps to prevent similar incidents.
The tragedy has already sparked outrage and concern among members of the public, with many calling for accountability and improvements in maternal care across the island.
2026.4.7 POLICE SEEK ASSISTANCE TO IDENTIFT BODY
The St. Andrew Central Police are seeking the public’s assistance to identify a man who was shot and killed on Bloomsbury Road, Kingston 10, on Friday, March 6.
The deceased is of light brown complexion, slim build, and is about 175 centimetres (5 feet 9 inches) tall; he is believed to be in his early twenties. The body was clad in army-coloured shorts and a pair of black slippers marked ‘US POLO.’ The body also has a tattoo of a cross with the words ‘Fear of God’ on the upper right arm. There are also stars tattooed on the lower right arm.
Passers-by discovered the body of the unidentified man on Saturday, March 7, at about 7:53 a.m. and called the Police. The body was transported to the morgue after investigators processed the crime scene.
Detectives are now appealing to anyone who can help them identify the deceased man or locate his relatives to contact the Half Way Tree Police Station at 876-926-8184 or 876-926-8185. Persons may also contact Crime Stop at 311, the police 119 number, or the nearest police station.
2026.4.5 Portland Men Facing Multiple Charges
Portland detectives have charged two men with Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, Using a Firearm to Commit a Felony, Robbery with Aggravation, Being Part of a Criminal Organization and Benefiting from Criminal Activity following an incident in St Margaret’s Bay in the parish on Saturday, March 28.
Charged are 31-year-old electrician, Jerome McLean and 24-year-old labourer Kagan Gibson. Both men are from Snow Hill, Portland.
Reports from the Port Antonio Police are that at about 12:30 a.m., a woman boarded a Toyota Probox motor car that was being operated as a taxi. It is reported that during the journey, the driver turned off the main road and three men emerged. It is further reported that the driver pulled a firearm and robbed the woman of JM $40,000 and US $5. The woman was later released along the Snow Hill main road in the parish.
The woman reported the robbery, and the police launched an investigation. McLean and Gibson were implicated during the probe, and they were later apprehended during a targeted operation.
On Sunday, April 5, both men were charged after a question-and-answer session in the presence of their attorneys. A court date is being finalised for them.
2026.4.4 Teen Boys Charged with Robbery with Aggravation
The St Andrew Central Police have formally charged two teen boys with Robbery with Aggravation following an incident at a plaza along Half-Way Tree Road in the parish, on Wednesday, April 01.
Reports from the Half-Way-Tree Police are that between 3:10 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., a boy was walking in the plaza when he was approached by a group of males. One of them held him from behind, brandished a knife, and threatened him. It is also reported that another of the males searched his pockets and robbed him of his wallet containing JMD 5,000 and a bank card. The culprits then escaped in the area.
A report was made to the police, following which, a police team revisited the scene of the incident and apprehended two suspects. The duo was charged after a question-and-answer session in the presence of an attorney and their parents on Saturday, April 04.
Their court date is being finalised.
2026.2.27 MOCA CHARGES ONE MORE SUSPECT IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD CASE
The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) has charged another suspect in connection with the ongoing multi-million-dollar fraud investigation affecting several financial institutions across the island.
Forty-four-year-old Dwayne Pitter of Olympic Gardens, Kingston, has been charged with breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act, the Forgery Act and Conspiracy to Defraud at Common Law, which together comprise thirty-six counts.
Pitter was arrested on January 13 this year, along with 30-year-old Chloe Douett, medical doctor of Cherry Gardens, Kingston, while 29 year-old Ivana Campbell, Executive Assistant of Cedar Grove, Portmore, was arrested on January 16, following a series of coordinated operations involving MOCA, the Financial Investigations Division (FID), the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (CTOC), and the Montego Bay Ferry Police.
Pitter, Douett and Campbell are alleged to be part of an organised criminal syndicate that carried out an elaborate and highly sophisticated multi-million-dollar fraud scheme against several banks and financial institutions, 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.
According to Major Basil Jarrett, Director of Communications at MOCA, “It is important to clarify at this stage that the three persons charged so far are implicated in multiple separate investigations but have been charged jointly in some of them. The investigation is ongoing, as is our commitment to prosecuting those responsible to the maximum extent of the law.” 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
2026.2.10 50 Cases Referred to Sexual Harassment Tribunal to Date
A total of 50 cases of sexual harassment complaints has, so far, been referred to the Sexual Harassment Tribunal.
Principal Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA), Sharon Coburn Robinson, made the disclosure during a recent presentation to the Caucus of Women Parliamentarians at Gordon House.
“Of the cases that we’ve had so far, most of them have come from within the public sector and some are from the private sector. The information I saw is that… over 60 per cent of the cases… have been dealt with, and some are still being addressed,” she informed.
The Tribunal was established under the Sexual Harassment (Protection and Prevention) Act to hear and determine complaints and to make awards.
Mrs. Coburn Robinson said that not all sexual harassment cases are heard by the Tribunal, as some are dealt with at the divisional level by Human Resources (HR).
Outlining the process, she explained that the legislation provides that once a complaint has been made, the HR practitioner has a responsibility to inform the person to whom the case has been brought, or complaint has been registered, within 48 hours.
Following the notification, the HR practitioner or whoever has focal point responsibility must call the parties together for a hearing or conversation and where possible to have some resolution done at that level.
Mrs. Coburn Robinson explained that the legislation requires that all remedies or procedures that are existing at the local level be exhausted, before it be brought to the tribunal.
“But in the event that there is no HR or there might be other matters in terms of the person feeling as if it’s taking too long or there is something that causes the person who is the complainant to feel as if it’s not going to be in his or her favour, then that person can bring the case straight to the tribunal,” she pointed out.
She noted that tribunal meetings are held as often as possible. “The idea is that all of the cases are going to be treated with the utmost priority because there is a zero-tolerance approach to any form of harassment that is done to any person,” Mrs. Coburn Robinson said.
“Once somebody complains of harassment, then the tribunal has a responsibility to ensure that it is treated with in a swift manner, and as swift as possible,” she stressed.
Members of the Sexual Harassment Tribunal were sworn in on July 17, 2025.
2026.2.2 Jolyan Silvera pleads guilty to manslaughter in wife’s death
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Former People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament Jolyan Silvera has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2023 shooting death of his wife, Melissa.
Melissa Silvera, a land developer, was found dead in the couple’s home in Stony Hill, St Andrew, on November 10, 2023. The former politician was arrested and charged in January 2024 and has been in custody since.
Police commenced a murder investigation after three bullet fragments were found inside the body of the politician’s wife. Initially, it was reported that the 42-year-old mother of four boys — one of whom predeceased her — died in her sleep from natural causes. The couple were married in 2015.
Jolyan Silvera is being represented by attorney Peter Champagnie King’s Counsel and Patrice Riley, while the Crown is being represented by prosecutors Dwayne Green and Latoya Bernard.
2026.1.21 MOCA MAKES THREE ARRESTS IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD CASE
The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) has arrested three suspects over the past week, in connection with a massive multi-million dollar fraud investigation affecting several financial institutions across the island.
The suspects, a man and two women, were nabbed following a series of coordinated operations across several parishes between January 13 and 16 last week. The man was arrested at his Kingston address last Wednesday, while the women were arrested in Montego Bay and Portmore, last Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
The three persons are suspected of carrying out an elaborate and highly sophisticated multi-million-dollar fraud scheme targeting several financial institutions between January 2023 and April 2024. According to Major Basil Jarrett, Director of Communications at MOCA, the arrests represent a major breakthrough in a very unique, elaborate and complex fraud case that has been on the Agency’s radar for at least two years.
The three are expected to be charged later this week with various offences including Breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), Breaches of the Forgery Act, and Breaches of the Law Reform for Fraudulent Transaction, Special Provisions Act, among others.
Major Jarrett said that more details will be provided as soon as the three are charged.
He is also reminding persons who have information on financial and other organized crime to report it to the agency’s tip hot line at 888-MOCA-TIP.
If you know the whereabouts of Jamoy ‘Satan’ Johnson please call CSJAMAICA at 311 or the nearest police station.
Kara Livermore (13, 4’10”, Trench Town, 11 PM, black top) & Tashauna Tenn (16, 5’6″, Olympic Gardens, 6:30 PM, pink dress/white Crocs).
Call Crime Stop 311 now! 100% confidential.
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2025.7.29 Early-Morning shooting claims life of man in St Ann
The St Ann police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man in the parish on Tuesday.
Dead is Renarko Campbell, 26, a construction worker of Royal Palm, Runaway Bay in St Ann.
Reports are that about 12:05 a.m., Campbell was in Mount Edgecombe district in the parish when he was shot and injured by unknown assailants.
He was assisted to the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The St Ann’s Bay Criminal Investigation Branch is probing the matter.
2025.7.28 St Catherine couple charged with stealing over $2M to cover family emergencies
A St Catherine couple has been charged in connection with the theft of more than $2 million from a business in Gutters, Old Harbour, where one of them worked as a branch manager.
Thirty-two-year-old Sashell Smith-Ebanks, a branch manager, and her husband, 42-year-old businessman David Ebanks, both of Gardina Boulevard, Sydenham Villa, St. Catherine, have been charged with larceny as a servant, conspiracy to commit larceny, and receiving stolen property.
According to the Old Harbour Police, the alleged theft took place between Monday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 23. An internal audit revealed that $2,025,000 was missing from cash lodgements made during that time.
When questioned, Smith-Ebanks reportedly admitted to taking the money and handing it over to her husband to assist with what she described as family emergencies.
The matter was reported to the police, and both individuals were taken into custody. They were charged on Saturday, July 26, following a question-and-answer session conducted in the presence of their attorney.
The couple is scheduled to appear in the Old Harbour Parish Court on Friday, September 26.
2025.7.25 Haitian nationals charged in $9.3m ganja bust
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Two Haitians, who were among five people arrested by members of the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) following the seizure of more than 3000 pounds of ganja in Toms River last Friday, have been formally charged.
They are 27-year-old Shelande Dorelien, a vendor of Lafolie, Haiti and 25-year-old Wisler Laveis of Aux Cayes, Haiti.
They were charged with two counts each of possession of ganja, dealing in ganja and taking steps preparatory to export ganja. They were also charged with trafficking ganja, conspiracy to export ganja and illegal entry.
Charged earlier this week in relation to the same incident were 50-year-old Heron Brown, a farmer of Burton district, St Elizabeth; 30-year-old Wade Richards, a vendor of Thompson Pen, St Catherine; and 28-year-old Delroy Wilson of Margarets Bay, Portland. They were each charged with two counts of possession of ganja, two counts of dealing in ganja, two counts of taking steps preparatory to export ganja, two counts of trafficking ganja, and conspiracy to traffic ganja.
Reports are that about 9:00 pm on July 18, members of FNID’s special operations team intercepted two motor vehicles in Toms River at the border of St Mary and St Andrew. One of the vehicles was occupied by Wilson and the Haitian nationals, while the other vehicle was occupied by the other men, the police said.
A thorough search of the vehicles uncovered more than 350 parcels of ganja, with an estimated street value of $9.3 million.
The police said since the start of the year over 40,000 pounds of ganja have been seized valued at $121 million. Additionally, more than 1,700 pounds of cocaine, valued more than $405 million have been intercepted, the police said.
They are appealing to citizens to share information on illegal drugs and firearms by contacting FNID at 876-923-6184, Crime Stop at 311, the National Intelligence Bureau at 811, the police 119 emergency number or the nearest police station.
2025.7.22 Jamaican police kill 5 men as department criticized for surge in fatal shootings
Police in Jamaica say they have filled five men suspected of plotting to kill someone as the department on the Caribbean island comes under fire for a surge in fatal shootings.
Authorities said in a statement late Monday that police were investigating an alleged murder plot that led officers to the location where the men were shot. The shootings occurred Monday afternoon in St. Andrew parish, where the capital, Kingston, is located.
“Officers came under heavy gunfire and responded to the threat to their lives,” police said.
Authorities noted that no officers were injured, and that they were looking for a sixth man nicknamed “Bloodstain” who escaped.
Police said that they reported the killings to Jamaica’s Independent Commission of Investigations, a government agency created in 2010 to investigate complaints against Jamaica’s police, military and corrections officers.
Security forces on the island have long been accused of unlawful killings and using excessive force.
Last week, the commission issued a statement saying that it was concerned “over the continued rise in fatal shootings by the Security Forces, in particular fatalities arising from planned police operations, as well as the persistent failure to prioritize the deployment of body-worn cameras.”
It noted that so far this year, Jamaican security forces have fatally shot 177 people, compared with 80 in the same period last year, representing a 121% increase.
From July 18, 2024, to July 18 of this year, forces have killed 288 people. The commission noted that police didn’t use body cameras in any of those incidents.
“A recurring theme in the shooting incidents show that weapons are alleged to have been pointed at officers, but in the absence of third-party eyewitnesses or video evidence, investigators are unable to verify or justify the use of lethal force,” the commission said.
2025.7.19 Bull Bay murder-suicide leaves four children orphaned
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A 50-year-old man chopped his 25-year-old lover to death and then killed himself at Stable Park in Cane River, Bull Bay, St Andrew Friday night.
The couple died, leaving four small children, the police have reported.
The dead woman has been identified as Kadane Blackstock, a cashier, while the man was identified as Rohan Edwards, both from the community.
Reports are that around 11:30 pm, residents heard screams coming from the couple’s home and alerted the police.
On arrival, the police checked the house and found four small children. Blackstock’s body was seen in a pool of blood at the back of the premises. It had a large wound on the neck.
Further checks were made and Edwards’ body was seen on its knees hanging from a tree at the back of the dwelling. It had a blue rope tied around its neck.
Both bodies were transported to the Kingston Public Hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead.
The police said intelligence suggested that both deceased had been having frequent arguments and physical confrontations for some time. Formal reports were said to have been made at the Bull Bay Police Station.
Further intelligence indicated that the last altercation occurred on Thursday, and the police assisted Blackstock in relocating from the dwelling.
However, she reportedly returned to the residence on Friday to attend to her children, where another argument/confrontation ensued, resulting in her death.
If you have any info, call 311. Help bring her home. 🧡
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