A 49-year-old St Joseph man is expected to face a Port of Spain magistrate on February 7 charged with larceny by trick.

Last week, Antonio Whittier of Market Street Extension appeared before justice of the peace Stephen Young, who granted him $150,000 bail with a surety.

A police release on Tuesday said police arrested Whittier while he was selling at a bakery in the St Joseph area on January 13.

The charge alleged that in December 2020, he encouraged and led a man to believe that he would get gym equipment for him at a reduced cost from his overseas employer, an international cruise-line operator.

Police said Whittier used several edited photos, WhatsApp messages and other documents to persuade the victim to buy the items. He also allegedly told the victim the cruise ship was reducing operations because of covid19 restrictions and was selling off a large quantity of gym equipment at a reduced price.

Police said the victim agreed to buy the equipment and made several payments totalling $65,500, expecting the equipment to be delivered when Whittier returned to the country in February 2021.

On making his final payment, the victim subsequently lost contact with Whittier and could not find him.

He reported the matter to the Fraud Squad in August last year. Insp Samuel and Sgt Basarath investigated and found Whittier was not employed on a cruise ship and had never left the country.

Cpl Liverpool of the Fraud Squad laid the charge.

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