Filipino Rommel Sofia pleads guilty to theft, false accounting
In addition to pleading guilty to the three charges against him in front of Magistrate Ayana Baptiste-DaBreo, Sofia through his lawyer Valerie Stephens-Gordon informed the court that he was prepared to pay back the sum of $24,975.37.
The case returns to the court on November 25, 2015 for mitigation and sentencing.
Stephens-Gordon related to the Magistrate that she had in her possession a cheque addressed to the Accountant General for $24,975.37 for the purpose of making restitution.
She argued that once restitution is made the items being held by the police, such as jewellery thought to be proceeds of the alleged crime, must be returned to Sofia.
However, Magistrate DaBreo was not of a mind to go this route and said that only after further research is done will she accept the cheque payment or decide on the return of the jewellery and that these should happen when the date for the next appearance arises.
Sofia faces three charges: theft, false accounting, and concealing and transferring proceeds of a criminal nature since the amount of $24,499.63 was allegedly removed from the territory in a criminal conduct.
In relating the details of the complaint today, Crown Prosecutor Garcia Kirt Kelly said that Rommel Sofia, a Filipino who was employed by Island Services Limited in Pasea Estate, Tortola, was on July 7, 2015 placed before Magistrate Tamia N. Richards, accused of fleecing his employer of some $24,499.63 between April 1 and May 15, 2015. However Stephens-Gordon said that her client wished to amend that figure to $24,975.37.
According to Kelly, the accused allegedly fleeced some $675 daily on average. It was alleged also that Sofia had confessed to police about committing the crime.
Kelly told the court that it was the Managing Director of the company, Ms Nelda Farrington, whose vigilance led to an investigation and subsequent arrest of the man.
Sofia was the Island Services Accountant, as he was so certified, and was subject to carrying out the task of an accountant based on certain procedures. The court heard that in May, Ms Farrington discovered that the accused was not carrying out the procedures of the accounting system of the company which prompted her to get assistance from others in checking the business handled by the accused.
It was allegedly discovered that Mr Sofia was not reporting and recording accurately the proceeds of each day but was in fact fleecing money under the cover that items were being returned by customers.
Sofia was on vacation in his home country while the investigations were being done at Island Services and it was on his return to the territory that he was told of the allegations against him and arrested on July 1, 2015.
According to Kelly, the accused denied the allegations against him, however, the following day July 2, 2015 he returned to the Road Town Police Station on his own volition and allegedly confessed to having done the crime as alleged.
The Senior Crown Counsel told the court that Sofia allegedly told investigating officers that he lied the previous day because he didn’t know what to do at the time.
Sofia allegedly made big investments back home
According to the allegations, Sofia told the investigating officers in detail what he did with the money. He allegedly informed them that he had bought a farm and residential lots and private properties by mortgage in his home country and stole the money to keep up with the payments for them.
In addition, he allegedly used some of the money to expand a jewellery business he owns. According to Kelly, at the end of it all Sofia said he apologised to his employers.
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24 Responses to “Filipino Rommel Sofia pleads guilty to theft, false accounting ”
Pumpkin going kill out the Filipinee b**tom now. poor guy
can some one in the NDP administration speak out on this matter.
Steal a little go to jail,
Steal a few mil, NDP crew going to hell!