A resident of the Dominican Republic, was yesterday fined $200,000 after admitting to conspiring to forge an immigration stamp, and having the stamp in her possession.
Yasabel Cuzma Benitaz was read a charge by Magistrate Fabayo Azore, which stated that between May 13, 2016, and December 20, 2016, at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she conspired with a person or persons to forge a Guyana immigration stamp in her Dominican Republic passport, purporting to show same was issued by the Guyana Immigration Office and knowing same to be forged.
A second charge alleged that the three months pregnant accused, on April 13, 2017, at Camp Road, Georgetown uttered to Constable 21559 Samaroo, an immigration officer, her Dominican Republic passport with a forged immigration stamp.
With the assistance of a translator, Benitaz pleaded guilty to the crime.
The court heard that the defendant entered the country legally and was granted a stay of one month. It was further stated that the accused went to apply for an extension on her stay, where it was discovered that her previous extension had been forged. According to the prosecutor, Benitaz stated that she had paid US$500 to a male to obtain the immigration stamp.
Subsequent to the brief facts presented, Magistrate Azore fined the accused $100,000 on each charge or a default sentence of six weeks in jail.
