A man from Bent Street, Georgetown, named Allister Michelle, has been accused of swindling a woman out of $2 million by falsely promising her a house lot. On Wednesday, he was remanded to prison after appearing before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Michelle pleaded not guilty to the charge of obtaining money by false pretense.
The case revolves around an incident that occurred on March 6, 2024, in Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The prosecution alleges that Michelle deceived Yonnette Joseph into believing he could secure a house lot for her, a claim he was aware was false.
During the virtual court session, Joseph argued against granting bail, highlighting that Michelle had been evading law enforcement since 2021. She accused him of repeatedly defrauding individuals and using his knowledge of legal loopholes to avoid capture. The prosecutor supported her claims, stating that Michelle had been difficult to apprehend and agreed that bail should not be an option given the circumstances.
In his defense, Michelle claimed the accusations were exaggerated and stated that there had been a prior agreement with Joseph. He asserted that he had already repaid her $500,000 and had her banking information to continue making payments. However, Joseph refuted this, explaining that Michelle’s wife had approached her privately with the $500,000 and requested that she not pursue charges against him. She also presented a printed wanted bulletin to the court, indicating that Michelle had been sought by the authorities for some time.
“I don’t like to see people go to prison,” Joseph stated in court, “but he’s slippery… he dodges the police and even uses different names.”
Michelle maintained that he was willing to repay the debt, claiming he could start making payments at the end of the month and mentioned holding two government contracts that would enable him to repay $100,000 monthly. However, Magistrate Azore expressed skepticism regarding his intentions to use government contract funds for personal debts. She insisted that at least half of the owed amount must be repaid upfront for bail to be considered.
Consequently, she denied bail and adjourned the case to August 20.
