Businessman implicated in multimillion-dollar scam granted bail after appeal

KINGSTON, Jamaica — One of the four accused charged in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud case involving multiple financial institutions was offered bail by the Court of Appeal on Wednesday following a successful appeal against a previous ruling denying his release. Kadeem Reid appealed the decision by Supreme Court Justice Simone Wolfe-Reece who, according to his attorney Able-Don Foote, refused bail primarily on the basis that there was a risk to the administration of justice and risk of furthering offending due to his alleged supervisory role in the scheme. Reid is jointly charged with 30-year-old medical doctor Chloe Douett; 29-year-old executive assistant Ivana Campbell, and 44-year-old Dwayne Pitter. Douett has since pleaded guilty. The suspects are alleged to have carried out the fraud through the submission of fraudulently obtained genuine documents and fraudulent identification documents which allowed them to bypass security protocols and identity confirmation measures at the banks. He had been arrested at the Kingston Central Police Station, where he was reporting on pre-charge bail for the offences of breaches of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and conspiracy to defraud. The Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) had described him as a ‘key player’ in the alleged scheme when he was arrested in April 2026. On appeal, Foote filed 11 grounds of Appeal on Reid’s behalf to include that Wolfe Reece erred by denying bail without any evidential or lawful basis. The Court of Appeal agreed, Foote indicated. He said the Court of Appeal also agreed that the Justice Wolfe- Reece failed to consider the inherent weaknesses in the case and lack of evidence before the lower court at the bail hearing. The Court of Appeal found that there was no evidence that Reid committed an offence while on pre-charge bail or interfered with witnesses and the lower court made insufficient consideration of this, the attorney added. The Court of Appeal also concurred with Foote that Wolfe- Reece erred by failing to give due regard to her finding that the accuse was not a flight risk thereby failing to apply the ultimate test for bail laid down by the the Privy Council in the Hurnam case. Foote indicated that the appeal court accepted most of the grounds of appeal filed on Reid’s behalf including the unchallenged medical evidence. Justice of Appeal Paulette Williams allowed the appeal and set aside the refusal order of Supreme Court Judge Simone Wolfe-Reece. Reid was offered bail in the sum of $2 million with one or two sureties. He is to report daily and was ordered to surrender his travel documents and a stop order was placed upon him placed at all ports. He is to have no contact with witnesses. He was also represented by Earl Witter KC.

Able-Don Foote.