Conman goes on rampage in the peninsula
If the following story was a Mastercard commercial it would read: bus trip to Placencia: twenty dollars; two days of free wining and dining: six thousand, one hundred and five dollars; conning the village council and businesses: priceless. But instead of a happy ending, tonight a teen is in Hattieville Prison charged with Obtaining Property by Deception, a village council is embarrassed, and a trio of businesses are out thousands of dollars. The story begins on October sixth when eighteen year old Robinson Michaels of Mex Avenue in Belize City went into the village, pretending to be an investor from Jamaica. Identifying himself as Mr. Ojoe, Michaels inquired as to who he can speak with to make some donations to poor villages in the area. According to police reports, “Ojoe” was directed to Placencia Chairman Brian Yearwood, who started taking him on a tour of the village. One of “Ojoe’s” stop was at the Paradise Hotel where he racked up a three thousand five hundred and fifty-five dollar bill throwing a party, booking two rooms, and shopping in the gift shop. He apparently told management that he would pay later and asked for their account number so he could deposit the money.
On the seventh, Ojoe paid a visit to Wallen’s Supermarket, owned by village councillor Harrold Wallen. Among other things, he ordered six bottles of Black Label whiskey and six cigars. Cost: eight hundred and fifty-two dollars, to be paid later. But Ojoe’s spree didn’t end there, on both days he dropped by the Turtle Inn where he ordered drinks and made arrangements for food to be prepared for thirteen guests who never showed up. That price tag was: one thousand six hundred and ninety eight dollars and sixty-eight cents.
The charade came to an end when Paradise Hotel did not get its money and we are told called Turtle Inn to tell them not to patronise Ojoe because he had left them with a bill. Faced with the possibility of being revealed, “Ojoe” told the village chairman that he had money in the vehicle with which he can pay off the debts. Yearwood handed over the keys to his Toyota Sequoia, but instead of getting cash, Ojoe took off in the S.U.V. He abandoned the vehicle in the village, but made off with Yearwood’s licensed nine millimetre pistol and thirty rounds of ammunition nestled inside the vehicle. The police were called in and after making stops in Independence and Dangriga, the conman was finally caught by Belmopan police on October eighth in possession of the gun and ammo. Robinson Michaels was taken to Independence and has since been charged with two counts of Obtaining Property by Deception, Theft, Handling Stolen Good, and Taking Conveyance. He has been remanded to the Hattieville prison. As for how a Belizean teen can pull off a Jamaican accent and enough authority to convince a village that he was bonafide, we are told Michaels has had some practice and faced similar charges two years ago. That of course is of no consolation to the chairman and businesses.
