Senior Superintendent of Police Dwight Powell
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Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, Commanding Officer for the St. Ann Police
By Nakinskie Robinson
The St. Ann police are appealing to around 75 people who were among a group of students reportedly swindled out of thousands of US dollars by a Work and Travel agency to file official reports with the authorities for further investigations to be conducted.
This comes after employment agency, First Rio, denied roughly 80 students the opportunity to obtain gainful employment in the US in the 2024 summer period.
Several students have since racked up thousands in debt with no funds in sight to recoup.
More than US$150,000 is on the line from 80 student. But only five students have lodged official complaints with the police in relation to fraudulent conversion.
Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, Commanding Officer for the St. Ann Police, says if the other 75 hope to get restitution, they must do the same.
"If there are others, of course, we would need their report, so that the total sum of the matter will be investigated. So it is our intent, if restitution is not made, for her (the owner of the employment agency) to be brought before the court to answer the charges," he said.
Radio Jamaica News was unable to locate the owner, Christelle Bernard, when we visited the First Rio office on January 7.
The doors and windows were shut and the building appeared to be abandoned.
But our newscentre is not the only entity in search of the woman at the centre of this alleged fraud.
The police, too, are on the hunt.
"We have made several inquiries to the location. The premises is now closed. The accused in this matter, we are making effort for her to come in to us," noted SSP Powell.
When asked if checks were made with the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency to determine whether Ms. Bernard may have left the island, the senior cop said this is part of the police probe.
"So we are doing everything humanly possible to bring this matter to resolution. And in fact, with what we have so far, we are in a position to draw arrest warrant, and we have arrest warrant in place," he disclosed.
He said the probe is being treated as a fraud investigation.
People reportedly defrauded by employment agencies in recent years have either had to endure years' long wait to receive a refund of their monies or have have had to cut their losses and move on.
In a 2022 All Angles report, a US State Department official said while policies vary, applicants may seek a refund from the J1 programme sponsor, the overseas entity or its third party, their local counterpart.
But, in the case of First Rio, its sponsor United Studies made it clear to participants that the programme may be at risk since it was awaiting payment and approval in June 2024 - a time when several students should have completed nearly a month's work in the US.
United Studies said the matter had been reported to the US state department on May 30, 2024.
The increasing reports raise concern about stronger oversight and monitoring of approved overseas employment agencies by the Ministry of Labour.
Students and other members of the public may visit the ministry's website for the approved listing, which is revised monthly.
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