The Financial Investigations Division (FID) is reminding persons subject to Pecuniary Penalty Orders (PPOs) that failure to comply with these court orders is a serious criminal offence that can result in imprisonment.

The warning follows the sentencing of Jason Kameka on June 18, 2026, after the individual pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including failure to pay a Pecuniary Penalty Order contrary to Section 12(6) of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

The case stemmed from a financial investigation led by the Constabulary Financial Unit (CFU), which began in September 2022 following allegations of cryptocurrency-related investment fraud against a complainant in the United Kingdom. Between August 16 and October 6, 2021, a total of £51,000 was transferred in several instalments to an account linked to Kameka, with the complainant believing the funds were being placed in a legitimate investment opportunity.

The investigation, which included the execution of a Production and Inspection Order under the Financial Investigations Division Act — confirmed that the funds were received, withdrawn, and moved to third parties. Checks with the Financial Services Commission further confirmed that Kameka was not licensed to operate as an investment advisor or securities dealer in Jamaica.

Kameka was charged with obtaining money by false pretences, engaging in transactions involving criminal property contrary to Section 93 of POCA, and acting as an unlicensed investment agent.

Investigators also established that Kameka had prior fraud convictions and was already subject to a Pecuniary Penalty Order issued by the Supreme Court on January 31, 2020, in the sum of J$18,106,176.97 — an order the FID confirmed had not been paid. On November 7, 2025, Kameka was charged with the additional offence of failure to pay the PPO, contrary to Section 12(6) of POCA. Upon conviction, that offence carries a maximum term of five years’ imprisonment.

At sentencing, the St. Ann Parish Court considered a social enquiry report, mitigation from defence counsel, and aggravating factors, including Kameka’s history as a repeat offender with a demonstrated tendency to reoffend.

The court imposed the following sentences, to run concurrently:

• One year and five months for obtaining money by false pretences
• Three years and six months for breaches of Section 93 of POCA
• Eleven months for acting as an unlicensed investment agent
• Three years and six months for failure to pay the Pecuniary Penalty Order

Commenting on the outcome, FID Chief Technical Director Dennis Chung said the sentence reinforces that court orders carry real consequences: “A Pecuniary Penalty Order is not optional. It is a binding order of the court, made after a determination that a person has benefited from criminal conduct. This sentence reinforces the point that persons cannot simply ignore those obligations and expect there to be no consequence.

“The FID will continue to take lawful steps to enforce compliance with PPOs and to support the wider principle that crime must not pay. Persons subject to these orders should understand that non-payment of Kamekas does not erase the debt. The obligation remains, and the FID can pursue enforcement action against assets acquired in the future to satisfy the order.”

A PPO requires a person to pay the value of the benefit determined by the court to have been obtained through criminal conduct. Importantly, a conviction for failing to pay a PPO Kamekas not extinguish the underlying debt — the FID remains empowered to pursue enforcement action against any future assets acquired by the convicted person. Where genuine financial difficulty arises, affected persons are advised to seek relief through the court rather than ignore the obligation.