A convicted street-level drug dealer has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay just over a million dollars for breaching the Proceeds of Crime Act, POCA.
The Financial Investigations Division, FID, says a Pecuniary Penalty Order of $1.1 million was secured against 40-year-old Omar Thomas of St. Catherine.
A pecuniary penalty is an order requiring payment as a result of the commission of an offence.
The Order was granted by Justice C. Wiltshire pursuant to Section 5 of the POCA.
In June 2017, an intelligence-led operation by the JCF’s Narcotics Division resulted in a quantity of cocaine and cash being discovered on premises occupied by Thomas in Old Harbour Bay.
In November 2018, Thomas pleaded guilty to possession of Criminal Property, Possession of Cocaine and Dealing in Cocaine.
Analysis undertaken by the FID’s financial forensic examiners assessed his benefit from criminal conduct at approximately 1-point-8-5 million dollars.
Thomas was ordered by the Court to pay $500,000 on Monday followed by six instalments of 1-hundred thousand dollars on the thirtieth day of each month, effective May 30.
FID’s Principal Director of Investigations, Keith Darien, says there’s been an increase in breaches of the POCA.
Keith Darien, FID’s Principal Director of Investigations.
