Case against alleged fake doctor put off until 2020

ENGLAND MCCRANE, the woman arrested and charged after allegedly conning several residents in western Jamaica out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, while operating under the guise of being a certified medical doctor, had the case against her deferred to next year when she appeared in the St James Parish Court last week.

The case was deferred until March 12, 2020, as a result of an outstanding statement, which is to come from the United States. McCrane had her bail extended by Judge Sandria Wong-Small, after clerk of the court Ranelle Morgan disclosed that a statement from the New York City Comptroller (the city’s chief auditing officer) had not yet been added to the prosecution’s case file.

“One statement from the New York City Comptroller is still outstanding, and contact was made via the United States Embassy, but we’re told that it will take time to contact the relevant parties,” said Morgan, who did not clarify why the document was needed.

During a previous court hearing in June, it was revealed that McCrane came to Jamaica from the United States on an emergency travel document. However, it was not stated during yesterday’s court sitting whether the outstanding New York document was related to that situation.

Wong-Small subsequently set the case for mention on March 12 and bound over the investigating officer to complete the matter by that time.

McCrane was arrested and charged on March 6 after she was reportedly posing as a medical doctor in western Jamaica. She was charged with several offences, including forgery, uttering forged documents, obtaining money by false pretence, and breaches of the Medical Act.

Following McCrane’s arrest, the Medical Association of Jamaica issued an advisory warning members of the public to do their due diligence to ensure that the persons from whom they seek medical attention are certified doctors. The police also issued an advisory asking persons who may have been treated by McCrane to contact them.

McCrane first appeared in the St James Parish Court on April 9, at which time an order was made for her identity to be independently verified, as she was also known by the names Alicia England and Dr. McCrane. Her identity was eventually confirmed as England McCrane on June 26 when a deed poll was presented to the court.