Fifty-three-year-old Ronald Sanders, of 322 Prashad Nagar, Georgetown, appeared virtually at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Magistrate Annette Singh where the charge of fraud was read to him.

It is alleged that on Thursday, March 16, at Main Street, Georgetown, with the intent to defraud, Sanders took the sum of $800,000 from Sharon Letlow by falsely pretending he was in a position to obtain a plot of land for her from the Ministry of Housing.

Sanders asked the magistrate to be granted bail since he was willing to reimburse the money to Letlow. Although Letlow agreed to being reimbursed, the magistrate told the defendant to make calls and gather up the money for Letlow. Magistrate later asked the defendant the amount of money he had in his possession and he replied, $10,000.

The unrepresented Sanders pleaded not guilty. The court heard that he would have compensated the virtual complainant on May 31, but none of his family members was present at court.

He then asked Magistrate Singh for bail to enable him to obtain the money to repay the virtual complainant, but his request was unsuccessful.

As such bail was refused and he was remanded until his next court appearance on June 14.