St. Ann based paralegal clerk and Justice of the Peace, Georgia Messam, has been sentenced to 2 and half years in prison, in relation to a multi million dollar real estate fraud case.

A statement from the police said a comprehensive investigation by detectives from the fraud squad and financial crimes investigation  division of the specialized  investigation branch led to the conviction and imprisonment of Messam, following her involvement in a &27m real estate scam.

The 53-year-old, who served as a justice of the peace for Kingston and St. Andrew and worked as a paralegal clerk in Village Green, St. Ann, was sentenced last Thursday, May 14, in the Kingston and St. Andrew parish court.

Messam is accused of defrauding a businesswoman from St. Catherine during a property transaction.

Reports are that between April 2018 and April 2019, the businesswoman transferred over $27m into Messam’s bank account to purchase a property.

The understanding was that the funds would be passed on to the appropriate attorney -at-law at Messam’s law firm.

However, Messam failed to hand over the funds to the attorney and fraudulently issued a letter drawn on the letterhead of the representing attorney’s office to the seller’s attorney.

This forged letter provided an irrevocable professional undertaking that the balance of the purchase price would be paid.

Relying on this fraudulent document, the seller’s attorney transferred the property title to the businesswoman.

When the seller subsequently  attempted  to collect the proceeds  of the sale, the fraud was discovered.

A report was made to the police and following an intensive probe by investigators, Messam was formally arrested on Tuesday, February 8, 2023 and charged with fraudulent conversion, unlawfully making available a device or data for the commission of an offence and engaging in a transaction that involves criminal property.

Messam first appeared in the Kingston and St.  Andrew parish court on Thursday, February 16, 2023.

After several court dates and failing to make restitution as promised, she pleaded guilty to all charges on Thursday, March 19, 2026.

On the charge of fraudulent conversion, the court sentenced Messam to two years and six  months’ imprisonment at hard labour on the first count, and two years and three months for each of the remaining five counts.

On the charge of unlawfully making available device or data  for the  commission of an offence, the court sentenced her to two years and three months’ imprisonment at hard labour on each of the four counts.

While on the charge of engaging in a transaction  involving  criminal property, the court sentenced her to two years  and six months’ imprisonment at hard labour.

All sentences will run concurrently.