Two men who went on a construction equipment shopping spree with forged purchase orders appeared in Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Carlton Eugene Minors, 37, of Great Bay Road, St. David’s, and Stephen Herbert McCallan, 36, of Texas Road, St. David’s, frequented Bermuda Air-conditioning, Masters, Gorham’s and Baptiste Builders’ Supply.

With forged documents, they acquired dehumidifiers, gallons of Amoral, toilet seats, refrigerators and tool kits in March this year.

In court yesterday Minors and McCallan both pleaded guilty to 15 charges of forgery and 15 charges of attaining goods through false representation.

And separately, Minors pleaded guilty to another eight charges of forgery and McCallan pleaded guilty to nine charges of forgery. Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney told the court Minors started work at the Correia Construction company on a part-time basis for a pre-release programme run by Department of Corrections.

When he left Westgate on June 15 last year he was hired on full-time and was given a purchase order book as part of his job requirement.

Mr. Mahoney told court, in January this year, however, the company terminated Minors’ employment and on March 23 the accounts department had reason to review an order placed by Minors.

Investigations into Minors and McCallan discovered the series of forged purchase orders starting in the beginning of March this year and CCTV caught images of the men acquiring goods with the purchase orders.

The total amount of goods acquired illegally was not revealed in court yesterday. After investigations, Police arrested Minors and McCallan on Thursday last week and in an interview at the Police Station admitted to the 15 forgeries and benefiting from the proceeds.

In court both men apologised for their actions and Minors said: “I apologised to Mr. Correia because he treated me good. I was wondering if I could go into a drug treatment programme.

“I’ve never been able to, that’s my problem.”

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo replied: “That’s how you paid him back? You organised this!”

After warning Minors and McCallan they would still face prison time, Mr. Tokunbo ordered a Social Inquiry Report and a Bermuda Assessment Referrals Centre (BARC) report and remanded them in custody.

Minors and McCallan will reappear in court on April 18 for sentencing.