The 26-year-old woman who has racked up 14 convictions for deceiving three people through a Facebook scam has been given suspended prison sentences on the 11 most recent charges.
On Tuesday, Tasheca Bacchus appeared before Senior Magistrate Colin John at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court and pleaded guilty to nine charges that on different dates between April 27, 2023 and Jan. 26, 2024, by deception, she dishonestly received from nine people specific sums of monies totalling EC$1, 580 with intent to permanently deprive each of them of the various amounts.
She was remanded to prison for two days pending sentencing on Thursday.
However, on Thursday, two similar charges were read to the Bacchus, who also pleaded guilty to charges that in April and May of 2023, she dishonestly received EC$45 and EC$75 respectively from Kamisha Cole Matthews of Campden Park, with intent to permanently deprived her of the sums.
John sentenced the defendant to six months in prison suspended for a year on each of the 11 charges.
He also ordered that Bacchus compensate the individuals the amounts owed within a month or spend three months in prison on each charge.
Bacchus first appeared — as a first offender — before John on March 4, at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court and pleaded guilty to three charges of the same nature.
Acting Corporal of Police Corlene Samuel told the court then that Bacchus’ created the Facebook page “Kidz World” and operated it using the name “Rhea”.
She employed Vickie Haywood, of Buccament, who collected monies from individuals on different occasions in Kingstown and Stoney Ground on behalf of the Facebook page.
Clients were to make their order and pay an initial down payment of 50% or 75% and the remainder in three weeks upon receipt of the item(s).
Haywood later became suspicious of the activities as clients complained of the service and she reported the matter to the police.
The police investigation led to Bacchus’ arrest.
She admitted to the police that she was the owner of the page “Kidz World” and had two other pages – “Amore Beauty Collections” and “Shop and Smile”.
She was bonded in the sum of EC$500 for six months on each charge those charges and ordered to repay the victims their various amounts totalling EC$375.
Bacchus was unrepresented in all of her court appearances.