By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER Scotiabank loans officer who admitted guilt about his role in stealing $1.3 million from the bank was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison pending the completion of the ongoing trial.

Justice Indra Charles told Jeffery Lloyd, the attorney for 40-year-old Byron Roberts, that she did not want to sentence Roberts until the present trial with the remaining two defendants was completed.

Roberts was standing trial along with Natasha Evans and Tremell Taylor charged with stealing by reason of employment, concerning the theft of $1.3 million from the Andros branch between April and June 2008.

At the time, Roberts was a loans officer while Taylor was a trekker and Evans was the assistant branch manager.

All three denied the charge when they were arraigned in the lower court before the matter was forwarded to the Supreme Court for trial.

The trial started last week and on Monday, February 18, Roberts changed his plea to guilty.

On Thursday his sentencing was put down to yesterday. Yesterday Justice Charles said she wished to defer sentencing to next week after the trial was completed.

She also told Mr Lloyd that she wanted to give him more time to prepare his plea in mitigation.

The judge said that whatever sentence is imposed Roberts will begin from the date of his remand, February 22.

Meanwhile, regarding the remaining two defendants, their attorneys Roger Gomez II and Romauld Ferreira had closed discussions with prosecutors Ambrose Armbrister, Kevin Farrington, and Gordon Soles in the presence of Justice Charles.

The judge is expected to make a ruling on those discussions on Monday.