A St. James man was fined $400,000 in the St. James Parish Court on Wednesday for applying for and obtaining four Jamaican passports under false names.
Devon McDonald pleaded guilty to four counts of making a false declaration.
In accordance with court records, McDonald went to the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) location on June 7, 2002, to apply for and receive a passport under the name Devon Lloyd. He once more applied for and was granted a passport on August 7 of the same year, but this time under the name David Paul McDonald.
The court also learnt that McDonald applied for and received a third passport on November 29, 2004, this time under the name Donovan Anthony James, and on May 14, 2008, he applied for and received a fourth passport under the name Helton George Edwards.
After hearing the allegations, presiding parish judge Sasha Smith-Ashley told the accused man that his behaviour reminded her of a spy movie and questioned whether he had been operating covertly.
“This sounds like some spy movie…Were you working undercover?” presiding parish judge Sasha Smith-Ashley asked the accused man, but he did not respond.
However, she was not inclined to send him to prison and instead imposed a monetary penalty.
On each count of making a false declaration, McDonald was fined $100,000 or three months’ imprisonment.
McDonald informed the court that he lacked the money to pay the fines, and he was placed in the holding cell until his loved ones could be called to help.
