Odessa McDonald-Moses, a 33-year-old pregnant mother of two, was granted bail totaling $950,000 after appearing before Senior Magistrate Fabyo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Courts. She faces five criminal charges, including forgery of a national identification card and passport, as well as a $13 million land fraud allegation.
McDonald-Moses pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The prosecution alleges that McDonald-Moses engaged in an elaborate scheme using a false identity and forged documents between April 1 and June 6, 2025, across various locations in Georgetown. The most significant allegation involves an incident on South Road where she allegedly defrauded two individuals, Keon Bess and Orlando Prince, out of $13 million by falsely claiming she could sell them a parcel of land at Parcel 2404 Block 3, Plantation Providence, East Bank Demerara. Investigators assert she had no legal authority to sell the property and misrepresented her identity.
The remaining four charges relate to events on June 6 at Croal Street, where McDonald-Moses is accused of forging official documents under the name Sharmaine Alexis Patterson. These include a forged Guyana National Identification Card presented to Bess and a forged Republic of Guyana passport.
In arguing against bail, the prosecution expressed concerns that McDonald-Moses might interfere with witnesses or flee if released. They highlighted the seriousness of the offences and the possibility that she could still access forged identification.
Her attorney, Meshonn Persaud, countered these claims, emphasizing that McDonald-Moses has no prior convictions, is a housewife with no independent income, and is solely reliant on her husband’s government job. Persaud also noted that her client is pregnant and responsible for two young children, circumstances that should be considered in favor of granting bail. Additionally, she alleged that McDonald-Moses had been held for over 72 hours without communication or medical attention.
After considering both sides, Magistrate Azore granted bail, distributing the amount across the five charges: $150,000 for obtaining money by false pretense, $150,000 for each of the four counts of uttering and forgery, with $250,000 for the two forgery charges.
McDonald-Moses is ordered to return to court on July 16.
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