NASSAU| A man and a woman have denied attempting to steal Crown land from the Bahamian government.
Prosecutors say Hertha Jenkins, 67, of Monastery Park, and Dawson Bullard, of Garden Hills, fraudulently accepted $61,500 from people seeking Crown land leases in Carmichael Village.
Prosecutors alleged that Jenkins received $48, 200 in fraudulent payments and Bullard got $13,300.
The scheme was uncovered after the unwitting applicants started to build on the land after Jenkins and Bullard gave them forged letters of acknowledgment from the Department of Lands and Survey.
Jenkins and Bullard denied the allegations at their arraignment before Assistant Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain.
They pleaded not guilty and were each granted $10,000 bail. They return to court in April.
Pair accused of Crown land scam
Police on Monday charged a man and woman with trying to sell Crown land.
Prosecutors say Hertha Jenkins, 53, of Monastery Park, and Dawson Bullard, 34, of Garden Hills Number 2, attempted to steal a parcel of Crown Land in the Carmichael Village area, valued at $44,000 per acre, from the Bahamas government in 2020. Jenkins faced 13 counts of fraud by false pretenses in relation to $48,200 that she allegedly received.
As for Bullard, he faced four counts of fraud by false pretenses after he allegedly received $13,300.
Dawson Bullard is escorted to court yesterday.
Jenkins allegedly issued three people’s forged acknowledgment letters from the Department of Lands and Survey in 2020.