Soldier jailed for stolen cell phones

A Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) private is to face the music in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court after he pleaded guilty to simple larceny yesterday.

The accused, Tafari Williams, 21, is charged with receiving stolen property and simple larceny in the case of two stolen two cellular phones. His co-accused, Aquwayne Taylor, is charged with two counts of simple larceny, two counts of conspiracy to steal and two counts of receiving stolen property. Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen property.

It was alleged that on August 3, the two complainants, who are also members of the JDF, plugged their phones, an iPhone X and a Samsung A12 and retired to bed. They were later awoken by a commotion at 2:20 a.m. by other soldiers who indicated that their property was being stolen. A report was subsequently made and on August 11, a joint military-police team located one of the complainant's cellphones at a location within the Corporate Area. A sting operation was set up and the phone was traced to a phone shop located along Eastwood Park Road, where Taylor and Williams were seen and accosted.

The court heard that Taylor was found using the SIM card belonging to one of the complainants while Williams was searched and the iPhone was found in the pocket of his uniform. They were taken into custody, but Taylor was subsequently offered $300,000 bail. Williams remains in custody of the JDF.

When the matter was mentioned before Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque, a community report was requested for both defendants to assist with sentencing. The men were also made subjects of a fingerprint order. Cole-Montaque imposed conditions to Taylor's bail, ordering him to surrender his passport. A stop order was also placed at the island's ports of entry and exit. They are to return to court on November 7.