Artesia primarily covers court stories, but she also writes extensively about crime.
Related Articles
The theft trial of a former cashier at the Department of Inland Revenue has ended in a plea deal.
Breanna Symonette, of Dundas Town, Abaco, admitted on Friday to stealing nearly $50,000 in value-added tax (VAT) and business licensing fees from the department’s Abaco office.
Prosecutors say that Symonette stole $49,025.93 between February 23, 2018 and June 21, 2018, and attempted to cover up the theft by not inputting all of the money collected into the system.
Symonette pleaded guilty to stealing by reason of employment and falsification of accounts when Magistrate Samuel McKinney re-read the charges.
The plea deal requires Symonette to repay the stolen cash in installments. She will make an initial payment of $5,000 on July 19 and a second payment of $5,000 on August 21.
Then, beginning on September 22, Symonette will make monthly payments of $500 until restitution is fully made.
Additionally, Symonette has to pay a $10,000 fine to avoid spending two years in prison.
She was also sentenced to two years of probation, beginning May 26. If she is convicted of any criminal offenses during the period of probation, Symonette will be sentenced to two years in prison.
Attorney Patrick Sweeting was the prosecutor.
