Fake doctor who pleaded to visa scam gets 6 years in prison

Fifty-eight-year-old Andrew Clarke, the man who was arrested at the Spanish Town Hospital last year for impersonating a medical doctor, was on Monday sentenced to six years and 29 days in prison in the St Catherine Parish Court.

Clarke, who pleaded guilty to four counts of obtaining money by means of false pretence and uttering forged documents, was sentenced by Senior Parish Court Judge Janelle Nelson-Gayle.

He was given 12 months and 29 days for two counts of obtaining money by false pretence and 36 months and 29 days for each count of uttering forged documents, which are to run concurrently.

Additionally, Clarke was sentenced to 12 months and 29 days on another count of obtaining money by false pretence and 36 months and 29 days on two other counts, which will run consecutively, bringing his total time behind bars to six years and 29 days.

The judge warned Clarke that upon completion of his sentence he must maintained the peace,

''Mr Clarke, kindly put down the medical gown, I see where you have been committing crime from 1997, therefore you must learn from this, as you could have received up to 14 years as you are a repeat offender,"Judge Nelson-Gayle said.

Clarke's defence attorney, Abena Morris, pleaded for leniency, noting that her client had already spent almost a year in custody.

In handing down sentence the judge acknowledged the good investigation by detectives from the St Catherine North Police Division.

Facts are that on November 7, 2024, the police received information that a man calling himself 'Dr Clarke' collected over $2,000,000 to perform various medical tests and failed to honour the agreement.

Later detectives assigned to St Catherine North Police Division went to the Spanish Town Hospital where Clarke was arrested wearing a medical uniform and wearing a fake doctor's identification card bearing his name and image.

Following further investigation it was proven that he was not a doctor, he was charged with impersonating a medical doctor, obtaining money by means of false pretence and uttering forged documents.

Investigations revealed that Clarke collected $1.7 million from one complainant, $600,000 from another and $250,000 from two other complainants to provide medical services to them.

To convinced his victims he furnished fake recommendations from various hospitals where he claimed to have been employed.

The Crown later withdrew the impersonating charge.

- Rasbert Turner

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