By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Caye Caulker fisherman who claimed he was drunk when he found an American woman’s debit card and went on a shopping spree has been fined and ordered to compensate the victim after pleading guilty to card theft.
Thirty-eight-year-old Ramon Tulio Flota, a fisherman of the Bahia area in Caye Caulker, appeared before newly appointed Magistrate Neeshad Mohammed, where he admitted to using a lost American debit card belonging to a 55-year-old Belizean/American retiree of Freetown Road, Belize City.
The court heard that Flota used the card to conduct 10 separate transactions at Ocean Supermarket totaling US$382.56, equivalent to BZ$765.12.
Magistrate Mohammed fined Flota $1,000 for the offense and ordered him to repay the victim the full BZ$765.12 he stole from the card. He was given until July 30, 2026 to pay both the fine and compensation or face seven months imprisonment in default.
During the arraignment, Flota, who was unrepresented, told the court that he had found the card while walking around the island and was under the influence of alcohol at the time. He asked the court for an opportunity to repay the money.
However, Magistrate Mohammed told Flota that being drunk was not a defense and stressed that card theft is a serious offense carrying a maximum fine of $25,000. The magistrate said the court was showing him considerable leniency, especially since he appeared remorseful and had no previous convictions for dishonesty offenses.
According to police, the woman reported the matter after receiving fraud alerts from her bank, USAA, about unauthorized purchases. She later reviewed her online banking and discovered multiple transactions had been made without her permission.
Police investigations, including surveillance footage from Ocean Supermarket, allegedly showed Flota using the card. He was later identified and charged with card theft.
The post Caye Caulker fisherman fined over $1,700 after going on drunken $765 shopping spree with American woman’s lost debit card appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Caye Caulker fisherman who claimed he was drunk when he found an American woman’s debit card and went on a shopping spree has been fined and ordered to compensate the victim after pleading guilty to card theft. Thirty-eight-year-old Ramon Tulio Flota, a fisherman of the Bahia area in Caye
The post Caye Caulker fisherman fined over $1,700 after going on drunken $765 shopping spree with American woman’s lost debit card appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
