A church brother is now behind bars after he was accused of defrauding his pastor of approximately $1,000,000.

The accused man is said to have told persons that he was a police inspector and detective before collecting money from them to buy motor vehicles.

He was remanded when he appeared in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court on fraud charges.

Linval Morgan, 46-year-old, labourer, of Eltham Park, St Catherine, pleaded not guilty in court yesterday. Clerk of Court Nicola Rowe pointed out that the allegations are that Morgan told two of his victims that he was a police inspector and the other he was a detective. The court heard that between July and August 2010, he convinced his victims he could supply them with vehicles up for auction.

It is further alleged that he became a member of a church and the pastor was convinced to pay over money for a vehicle.

It is alleged that Morgan promised to get the pastor a Honda CRV Sports Utility Vehicle and collected $1.192 million in payments. Morgan is also accused of collecting $220,000 from one victim and $295,000 from another while promising cars.

convincing victims

To convince his victims, he is alleged to have got someone to call them to say he worked with the national security ministry. Morgan is said to have also taken his victims to view vehicles that have been confiscated by the police. The allegation before the court also claims that Morgan went missing for over one year after collecting the money and was spotted in late February in Spanish Town, and was pointed out by one of the complainants.

He was subsequently charged with three counts of obtaining money by means of false pretence by Detective Constable Ricardo Johnson. He is scheduled to reappear on April 12, when the matter will again be mentioned. Morgan was not represented when he appeared in court.