Thirty-four-year-old Mark Duncan of La Grange, West Bank Demerara, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for using money that he had earned from selling a quantity of bottled water for a man to pay off a gambling debt.
The salesman pleaded guilty to the charge of fraudulent conversion but not guilty to a simple larceny charge.
He admitted that on December 23 last year, being solely entrusted with a quantity of bottled water, with a total value of $106,000, by Elton George so that he may sell and return the earnings to him, he fraudulently converted it to his own use and benefit.
However, he denied that on March 15 this year he stole a cart with a quantity of drinks, totalling $195,000 in value, the property of Lana Edwards.
Duncan said that on the day he had finished selling off the bottled water, he started to gamble. He said that after a while he realised that he was losing and his debt was increasing so he used the money that he had earned from the water sales to pay off the debt.
He stated, however, that he never stole the cart and drinks belonging to Edwards.
Edwards, who was in court, said that the drinks and the cart are valued at over $300,000 and not $195,000 as stated by the police.
Duncan was then sentenced to prison on the fraudulent conversion charge while he was ordered to return to court on May 21 for his trial in the simple larceny matter.