Twenty-three-year-old Karron Graham of Canefield, who attempted to defraud a bartender at JR’s Bar and Grill with a counterfeit EC $50 bill after ordering two drinks, has been ordered to pay $10,000 in fines or face up to two years in jail for that offense.
Graham appeared before Chief Magistrate Evelina Baptiste, this morning, where he pleaded guilty to the fraudulent conversion of a $50 EC note which he intended to use to defraud bartender Linden Esprit.
He was also charged with the possession of counterfeit money.
According to the facts of the case, which were presented by a police prosecutor, at about 12:05 a.m. on January 14, 2012, the defendant ordered the drinks, which included a Guiness Stout. He then presented the note to the bartender. Upon looking at the bill, the bartender noticed it looked fake. He proceeded to test the note by passing it under an ultra violet light situated below the counter. This confirmed his suspicions.
The bartender then alerted the owner of the bar who called the police and Graham was arrested.
When questioned by police Graham said, “Big Face that give it to me Friday night in the lane by JR’s and he tell me go and get a drink. I did not get the Guinness because the police come and tell me is counterfeit and they arrest me.”
The repeat offender pleaded with the magistrate to give him “another chance” but his list of previous offenses did not go in his favor.
For fraudulent conversion Graham was fined $6,000 to be paid by April 30, 2012 or he spends 24 months in prison. For having counterfeit currency, he was also fined $4,000 to be paid by the same date or he faces 12 months in prison.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
THIS IS VERY HARSH PUNISHMENT FOR A $50.00
COUNTERFEIT BILL. MAYBE TO TO SET AND EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS. THEY SHOULD CHARGE THE
PERSON WHO GAVE HIM THE BILL.
I could understand if he was a malaway parent trying to buy milk to warm his child belly. But to go and buy rum and try to defraud a hard working dominican who trying dey best to claw out of the gwaye that is Dominca, I say you get no sympathy on my end…take him away officer.
Is guinness you want, well dem man in stocky well stout…dey waitng for you.
Wow, Harsh…. But then again even if he did not Know… You should know your friends. :p
you see the utter rubbish people getting 2 years prison for…. charge de man and finish with that. but kill a man and get bail one time and they don’t even know what stockfarm looking like.!!!!
“Blood doh spill de right place yet eno”…. Jah know
Thats a hard fine and imagine how murderers go FREE so easily
……….this judicial law is very preferential…Have mercy Lord..Vengeance is Gods ppl who do these things intentionally will suffer at the end! 
He will lean now he is bad egg . that boy almost killed his father with a stone .
if he knew dat the money was counterfeit i should say dat the punishment is excellent!!!!!!!!!
Alas, was he told that the money was fake? why wasnt Big Face contacted? i mean, the man could be innocent, most times, a guy is given a money to buy a drink by these so called “big boys” and innocently they pass it on; he was given a drink after all; even though he is a how many offender, is a drink they give him; the criminal is Big Face, not he, woy oh
so you expect big face to accept,is he that give it to him,your head aint right partner,what ever meds you taking,go back to the doctor.
that was wrong of the youngman… if he knowingly used this…. but i’ll say the system sucks gay balls… i don’t even have to describe why i feel this way… i guess many share the same sentiment…
Excellent punishment for an attempted excellent crime!! These culprits are only interested in “sucking the blood of innocent people”. Well done magistrate.
that is not fair.
Boy, $10.000 for a fake $50 … wow… that is cruel…
then ally saying the judicial system not hard enough. You really can not please Dominicans
one thing for sure,none off you all will try it,that’s for sure, not after that deterrent example
Cruel??…Hell no!!. It’s called waste removal with deterrent effect. I’m with you Your Honour, although I admit chucking a few politicians and lawyers on dat bus lajol with dat voler wouldn’t hurt your cred.
and for spitting on the constitution,no charge!!
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cant understand that. if u know the money is counterfeit, well i guess u guilty but what if u dont know the money is counterfeir. money circulating all over the place, nobody has time to examine every paper money in their purse.
MY PADNA…BEST YUH HAD KILL SOMEBODY….DEY WOULDA LET YUH GO
sorry convicted
well done bartender we need to get more of them conicted
yeah excellent job!!!!!!
u do even spend d whole 50 an enjoy it
look now u have 2 pay 10 000 u find u making sence an they still prescribe 3 calenderz 4 u .
Yet drug dealers getting bail… what kind of justice system is in this country??
Are you some kind idiot? Why don’t you abolish the justice system so that everybody can do as they please. When someone sticks a gun up your nose, I hope you don’t complain.
Good for the fool
way pa pa
If the 24 mths.plus the 12 mths.runs concurrently which adds to 24 mths, why the $6000.00 and the $4000.00 do not run concurrently?
…the answer would be much too complex for your feeble mind. Let it go before you hurt yourself!
That is the Highest Currency Conversion Rate you can find wii Pal. Counterfeit $50 dollars = $XCD10,000. Wow! I staying away from that currency wii pal. No Banks or Business Places will change it for me so it can stay where it is…Lesson to All
lol! nice one
Yep, And if he is Rich or likes taking it up the bum he will do it again…
And the Dominican with the french passport who makes or takes millions wake away free . Where is the fairness in the court system. I am not supporting the fraudulent behaviour of the boy but this is a sharp contrast within two weeks by the court . CCJ i am sorry for you .
thats just good
Now the court is talking. Let them feel the vibes. Last friday i had my own experience not with counterfeit but with someone who was claiming to have handed me a ten dollrs bill rather than the five I had cashed. I was not prepared to relent since I was very sure it was a five dollar bill. She called witnesses, but I was very sure of my position. She left to return later with an apology of sorts.
Are there sentencing guidelines in Dominica or the magistrates just doing their own thing? I don’t understand what is happening in this Banana Republic, people get those kinds of outrageous punishments for petty crimes, and attempted murderers, and big time thieves go Scott free. What are these magistrates trying to prove with their Draconian, arbitrary sentencing? They want to prove that they are tough on crime? This is such a farce? The poor man holding the bitter end of the stick again!!!