Alleged scammer reportedly dies before trial - Girlfriend still facing charges

The case of the Trelawny couple, who were arrested on lottery scamming charges in May 2023, has been set for April 16 in the St James Parish Court, following the reported death of one of the defendants.

Rockay Johnson, a bartender of a Water Lane, Zion Hill, address in Trelawny, had her bail extended by presiding Parish Judge Sasha-Marie Ashley on Tuesday, after the court was advised that the other defendant, Johnson's boyfriend, Tajay Douglas, is dead. It was disclosed that a scene-of-crime report was done in respect to Douglas' death, but that the Communication Forensic and Cybercrime Division report is still outstanding. It was not revealed how or when Douglas died.

"The file is not yet ready and there are some other administrative things that need to be done. If you intend to get a lawyer, you need to work on that," Judge Ashley advised Johnson, before extending her bail to April 16.

According to a report provided by the Corporate Communications Unit, on May 29, 2023, between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m, Douglas and Johnson visited the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston to collect a package from a courier. However, anomalies were detected by customs agents shortly after. The package was searched and more than 20 credit cards were allegedly found hidden inside cellular phones and calculators. When questioned, the couple could not account for the cards.

After an interview, police officers from St James and Trelawny, alongside personnel from the Jamaica Customs Agency, conducted a secondary search at the couple's Water Lane home in Trelawny, where an on-site analysis was done on two cellular phones. They were found to be populated with identity and banking information of persons residing overseas.

Johnson and Douglas were arrested and subsequently charged with possession of identity information, distributing identity information, possession of access device, trafficking in access device, and causing money to be transported to Jamaica illegally.