By Tiffany Taylor – STAR Writer
Ray Morgan, the man who confessed to scamming reggae songstress Marcia Griffiths of millions, has reportedly suffered a stroke and is unable to walk.
“Mr Morgan is not doing well at all. It doesn’t look good,” Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque shared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Wednesday.
This latest development is another setback in Griffiths’ bid to be repaid US$30,000 (approximately $4.5 million), that Morgan skimmed from her. He approached Griffiths sometime in 2021, purporting to be a property manager who was seeking to purchase properties to construct a museum to preserve her legacy. The matter was stalled previously when Morgan told the court that he had insufficient funds in his bank accounts to begin restitution. He also shared that he had assets he was willing to liquidate. But when checks were made, it was revealed that Morgan’s claims were not true. When the matter was last heard in court on October 26, 2022, Cole-Montaque made her sentencing indications clear, stressing that Morgan would not escape imprisonment. He has pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining money by means of false pretence.
However, Morgan has not appeared in court on the subsequent dates. It was not until Tuesday that the reason for his absence was shared. Court police have also shared that attempts are being made to have Morgan transferred to another correctional facility that can administer additional health care.
“He cannot walk but he will have to come here at some point,” the senior jurist indicated. The matter was set for mention on May 4.
Morgan reportedly told Griffiths that the proposed property attracted a cost of US$2 million (approximately $304 million) and that along with his alleged overseas colleagues, he would finance the construction of the museum. Sometime in July 2022, Morgan told Griffiths that he would communicate with his overseas partners to expedite the process. He proposed that he would lend the reggae singer US$500,000 to purchase the property.
The court heard that Griffiths was told that purchasing the property would require US$30,000 in stamp duty and taxes. Morgan told Griffiths that she should pay over the monies to him, which he later received via wire transfer. Following this payment, Griffiths made several attempts to contact Morgan, who stopped answering her calls.
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