A brazen daytime theft that ended with the accused openly advertising the stolen goods for sale on a major social commerce platform has landed a 20-year-old Wildey landscaper in criminal court, with sentencing scheduled in the coming days.
Jared Rohinho Powlett, a resident of Block 2A, Bottom Close, pleaded guilty to one count of theft before District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court No. 2 this week. The court has confirmed that Powlett stole a gold chain valued at $2,000 and $900 in cash from Jeremiah Harewood, a local professional jeweller, during an arranged meeting on August 18.
Court documents outline the sequence of events that led to Powlett’s arrest. Harewood had been browsing listings on Facebook Marketplace when he spotted a chain listed for sale that caught his eye. He reached out to the account holder—later confirmed to be Powlett—to negotiate a price, and the two agreed to meet in person that same evening to complete the exchange.
Shortly after 7 p.m., Harewood drove to the agreed meeting spot on Pine East-West Boulevard. When Powlett approached the vehicle, he asked to first see the money Harewood was prepared to spend, claiming he needed to protect himself against common scams where buyers run off with merchandise without paying. As the two continued negotiations, Harewood held his own $2,000 chain and the $900 in cash in his right hand, and proposed a straight trade for the chain Powlett had advertised.
In that moment, Powlett acted quickly: he reached his hand into the stopped vehicle, snatched the cash and chain directly from Harewood’s grip, and fled the scene on foot before Harewood could react.
For days after the theft, the stolen property went missing—until Harewood logged back into Facebook Marketplace over the weekend and spotted his own chain listed for sale by the same account. Rather than confronting the seller alone, Harewood coordinated with law enforcement: he arranged a new meeting close to a downtown jewellery store, then contacted local police to lay a trap. When Powlett arrived at the meeting spot carrying the stolen chain, officers moved in to detain him, and Harewood immediately confirmed his identity as the man who stole his property.
Powlett’s legal representative, attorney Shadia Simpson, has asked the court to consider a non-custodial sentence for her client, noting that this marks his first criminal offense. She told the court that Powlett has expressed genuine remorse for his actions and is fully willing to pay full restitution for the stolen funds and property. Citing the provisions of the Penal System Reform Act, Simpson argued that alternatives to jail time should be prioritized for first-time offenders in this situation.
Magistrate Manila Renee has delayed sentencing to allow time for Harewood to appear in court to give his full testimony. In the interim, Renee granted Powlett bail set at $5,000, and ordered him to reappear at the court for his sentencing hearing on Wednesday.