Three women charged with stealing from the church

Three women charged with stealing from the church
Nikia Anderson-Sands, 28, is escorted to court.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Three women were arraigned in the magistrate’s court on Thursday for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from a Seventh Day Adventist Church last December.

Shandera Knowles, 28 (right) and 21-year-old Shawnta Adderley are escorted to court.

Shandera Knowles, 28, Nikia Anderson-Sands, 28, and 21-year-old Shawnta Adderley appeared before Magistrate Samuel Mckinney, facing four counts of financial fraud.

The trio was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit fraud, one count of acquisition of the proceeds of criminal conduct, one count of fraud by false pretences and one count of possession of forged documents.

According to court dockets, the women fraudulently obtained $7,000 dollars cash from Bank of the Bahamas and illegally withdrew $7,000 dollars from the account of Message of Hope Seventh Day Adventist church.

Shawnta Adderley was additionally charged with falsifying documents and pleaded not guilty.

Nikia Sands was separately charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud by false pretences, possession of false documents – namely an RBC cheque in the amount of $6,000 dollars drawn from the account of Message of Hope Seventh Day Adventist Church –  and acquisition of the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Sands pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The three women pleaded not guilty to all charges and were remanded to the Department of Corrections until April 8, 2019, for trial.

About Ginelle Longley

Ginelle Longley is a broadcast reporter and occasional TV news anchor with Eyewitness News, also serving as the station’s evening radio news anchor for 103.5 The Beat. She has reported on news beats including government, politics, crime, human interest, business and even sports. In 2018, she was nominated for the Bahamas Press Club’s “Student Media Journalism Award”.