St Catherine Man Fined for Illegally Using JP Seal

SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine — A man who admitted to using the official seal of a justice of the peace (JP) to unlawfully certify documents was fined $350,000 or face 21 months behind bars when he appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court on Tuesday.

The man, Mark Anderson, was slapped with two charges: unauthorized possession of a justice of the peace seal, and unauthorized use of a justice of the peace seal.

On the possession charge, Anderson was fined $200,000 or 12 months’ imprisonment, while on the charge of unauthorized use, he was ordered to pay $150,000 or serve nine months.

The court heard that Anderson’s arrest stemmed from an intelligence-driven operation conducted by police in August 2024. He was apprehended at the Spanish Town bus park along Burke Road, where the illicit seal was also seized.

Further investigations led to the arrest of a justice of the peace, who was charged with permitting the unauthorized use of the seal. However, the Crown later offered no evidence in that case and the JP was discharged.

Authorities continue to caution the public against engaging in or facilitating fraudulent document certification, noting that the misuse of JP credentials is a serious offence that undermines public trust.