Maria Bento’s legal representatives had argued for a suspended prison sentence however, a judge reserved judgment until March.
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A former WEDCO employee who admitted to forging discounted rent payments and deception could spend up to four years behind bars, a court heard yesterday.
Maria Bento, represented by Jerome Lynch, KC, admitted to paying just over $11,000 of monthly rent between December 2017 and February 2021 – less than 10% of the $117,000 owed. This was done through forging the manager’s signature to authorise a rent reduction.
She was charged with evasion of liability by deception, forgery and obtaining a money transfer by deception.
The Crown said she fabricated a lie by requesting to be reimbursed by her employer for a post-graduate certificate that she never actually studied.
Among the funds stolen, Bento accepted $16,334 of reimbursement from WEDCO, a former government quango. She also deposited $10,000 into a joint bank account that was in arrears for the same amount.
She further deposited $2,500 into a joint credit card account, $2,000 to a personal credit card account and $2,000 into an unknown bank account with a note attached, ‘Tasha’s Wedding Dress.’
Bento also admitted to fraud by dishonestly disbursing public funds from WEDCO as a property manager.
The court heard Bento has no previous convictions and entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity after being formally charged in June 2022 – nearly a year after she was interviewed in connection to the crimes in September, 2021.
Bento had been fired from her job on the 24th of January, 2021.
Cindy Clarke, the Director of Public Prosecutions, called the offences ‘egregious’ and that there was a high degree of intentionality to commit them.
She added the defendant stole from the people of Bermuda amidst a housing crisis by trying to cheat the organisation out of getting a lower level of rent –thereby, abusing her role as a manager of delinquent tenants while in a position of trust.
Ms Clarke noted that one of the documents she forged, a ‘silex’ could have afforded her the right to an audience in open court, a special privilege held only by members of the judiciary.
The crown called for an immediate incarceration for a period of four, one and five years for the three counts, respectively, to run concurrently.
Prosecutors rejected the suggestion by the defense to suspend her prison term due to the guilty pleas and her heath concerns.
Mr. Lynch noted that his client was anxious to learn her fate due to her risk of developing ovarian cancer and the ongoing health complications with her one of her two sons; her eldest son requires overseas treatment.
However, Ms Clarke noted that a doctor has yet to diagnose her, though the process has been delayed due to Bento losing health coverage when she was fired from WEDCO.
Her lawyer argued that she was ‘distraught’ by her actions and has raised $40,000 to pay restitution of which $25,000 is her own cash, to WEDCO.
He explained that Bento said termites were attacking the property with WEDCO paying out $30,000 in repairs.
Mr. Lynch said, “She claimed the discount that she wasn’t entitled to.”
The monthly rent due was $3,000 for a 3-bedroom apartment and she worries she will soon lose her home, that she shares with her husband and two teenaged sons.
Mr. Lynch added that she is currently employed part-time with an events company and is awaiting confirmation of possible employment from Cambridge Beaches, depending on the court’s decision.
Bento told the court, where proceedings were held virtually on Zoom, that she apologised to her friends and family for the drama she had caused.
Justice Juan Wolfe reserved judgment until the 7th of March and extended the defendant’s bail.
