WEST END, Negril — Former operations manager Paul Wilson has admitted to orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud at a boutique hotel in Negril, siphoning off both Jamaican and US currency over several months.
Wilson, who worked at the property for more than five years up to June 2021, entered a guilty plea on September 1 in the Westmoreland Parish Court to an eight-count indictment. Charges include:
- Conspiracy to defraud
- Access with intent to commit an offence
- Larceny as a servant
- Fraudulent conversion
- Obtaining credit by fraud
How the Scheme Worked
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Wilson had unfettered access to the hotel’s four bank accounts, which he was authorised to use for staff wages, utilities, government taxes, and other expenses.
However, between September 2020 and June 2021, investigators say Wilson made hundreds of unauthorised wire transfers, funnelling cash into his personal accounts and to other parties unrelated to the hotel.
An audit revealed losses totalling J$9,333,965.69 and US$340,899.69.
In one instance, prosecutors said, Wilson forged the owner’s signature on a US$120,000 loan application in February 2021. Once approved and deposited to the hotel’s account, the funds were swiftly redirected for his own use and to accomplices.
The following month, a US$27,000 cheque earmarked for operations was also allegedly misappropriated.
Digital Evidence Cracked the Case
Wilson initially denied wrongdoing, blaming the transactions on an alleged credit card scam. But a probe by the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Communication Forensics and Cybercrime Division (CFCD) unearthed damning text messages between Wilson and co-conspirators, detailing plans to loot the hotel’s accounts.
The ODPP credited the CFCD’s findings as pivotal in securing Wilson’s guilty plea.
Sentencing Next Month
Wilson, represented by attorney-at-law Shane Walker, is set to be sentenced on October 13 in the Westmoreland Parish Court. Crown Counsel A. Hall led the prosecution.
The case has sent ripples through Negril’s hospitality sector, with business operators urging tighter oversight to safeguard company funds against internal fraud.
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