Car dealer on 68 fraud charges granted reduced bail
Dec 14, 2024
Kaieteur News- Omeca Primo, the 35-year-old woman accused of operating a fake car dealership, had her bail reduced on Friday when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty lowered Primo’s bail from $20.4 million to $5.1 million, on 68 fraud charges.
The charges stem from an alleged scheme in which Primo deceived customers into paying for vehicles that were never delivered.
Omeca Primo (Car dealer on 68 fraud charges)
During the hearing, Primo’s attorney, Everton Singh-Lammy, argued for a reduction in the bail amount. Singh-Lammy requested that bail be set at $50,000 per charge, stating that the original bail amount was excessive and effectively treated Primo as though she had already been found guilty. He emphasized the need for fairness and argued that bail conditions should not be punitive.
After considering the defense’s arguments, Magistrate McGusty reduced the bail to $75,000 per charge, bringing the total to $5.1 million. The reporting conditions previously imposed remain in effect, requiring Primo to report to the Criminal Investigations Department on the second and fourth Mondays of every month.
Primo had initially been granted $300,000 bail on each charge, amounting to a total of $20.4 million.
The prosecution disclosed 20 case jackets during the hearing, detailing evidence linked to the fraud allegations. The case has been adjourned to February 21, 2025, for further proceedings.
Primo was initially slapped with 68 charges on November 11, 2024, totalling $51,573,000 in alleged fraudulent activities. Initially, she was accused of defrauding customers out of $11.3 million.
Investigators revealed that Primo attempted to evade detection by changing her phone number, business location, and even rebranding her company. Some victims have also reported incidents of intimidation at the last proceedings.
(Car dealer on 68 fraud charges granted reduced bail)
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