A Beteverwagting man was jailed on Thursday after admitting to conning two teenagers out of money and a phone by pretending to know their relatives.
A city court heard that on April 25th, 2016, at Regent Street, Dwayne McDonald, 29 of Lot 19 Beteverwagting, East Coast Demerara, stole $6,000 from Johnathon Nichols. It is also alleged that on April 4th at Anira Street, Georgetown, he stole a Samsung phone, valued $45,000, from Nkosi Beaton.
McDonald pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him by Magistrate Faith McGusty.
According to Prosecutor Seon Blackman, McDonald conned the boys by telling them that he knew their family. He said that the boys believed him since they had relatives with the names he mentioned.
On April 4th, McDonald told Beaton that he wanted to make a call to his aunt Gwendolyn, whom he knew well. Beaton hesitated, telling McDonald that his phone did not have credit to make the call. McDonald insisted that he would put credit in the phone to make the call. According to the police, McDonald took the phone and had Beaton chasing after him for it.
On April 25th, he had told Nichols that his uncle Steven wanted him to lend him $6000. The boy believed and gave McDonald the money. He then made good his escape. It was not until someone informed Nichols that the man was a con artist that he knew he was robbed.
McDonald was subsequently apprehended.
Before judgement was passed on McDonald, the magistrate told him that he preyed on the innocent and young, having researched their families before pouncing on them. As such, she sentenced McDonald to 12 months in jail for stealing Beaton’s phone and six months in jail for stealing Nichols’ money. The sentences will run consecutively.
