Keisha Oudkerk, found guilty of fleecing two persons of $2.4 million by pretending she could get them house lots, was yesterday sentenced to 15 months in jail.
Oudkerk, a 20-year-old caterer of Q77 Guyhoc Park, had denied the charge that between May 8 and July 19, 2013 at Georgetown, she falsely obtained the money from Regan James and Candace Sealey by pretending that she was in the position to sell them house lots, despite knowing that the claims were false.
Oudkerk was found guilty by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 5, where she was tried.
The prosecution’s case was that Oudkerk gave James and Sealey the impression that she either worked at the Ministry of Housing and Water or that she was in the position to get house lots for them.
Defence attorney Euclin Gomes pleaded with the court to consider a non-custodial sentence, while stating that Oudkerk was the mother of an eight-month-old child and that it will be extremely hard for her not to be able to care for her. He further noted that Oudkerk is the sole breadwinner of her family.
However, after taking into consideration all the factors, the magistrate ruled that a fine would not be sufficient penalty since she believed that Oudkerk preyed on the victims, who seemed desperate.
After her conviction, Oudkerk who was seen crying, was escorted by a rank to the prison area.
