A former Bermuda Housing Corporation (BHC) worker accused of conning a number of people out of more than $100,000 narrowly avoided spending the Christmas holidays in prison after the man who served as a surety for his $40,000 bail died.

Dana Edward Martin, 43, of Home Port Drive, Hamilton Parish, was charged with seven fraud and misleading statements offences earlier this year in Magistrates' Court.

Last Tuesday, Martin appeared before Acting Senior Magistrate Tyrone Chin during the daily plea court session and said he had yet to find a new surety to secure his bail.

After Martin explained his surety had died eight days earlier, Mr. Chin told him he should have notified the court immediately.

Mr. Chin said he had no choice but to remand Martin into custody until a new surety was in place.

It is alleged that on April 1 this year Martin induced Kevin Janzen to invest $25,000 with him after giving a promise or forecast which he knew to be misleading or false.

On April 20, 2002, he is alleged to have induced Mr. Janzen to pay him $18,500 by the same means.

Martin is also accused of inducing Rosalind Ray to invest $35,000, $20,000 and $60,000 in him by false or misleading means, in three separate charges during the same month.

Martin also faces charges of uttering a false document - a BHC purchase order - and signing that purchase order with intent to defraud between March 31 and September 14, 1999.

All the charges are indictable and will be dealt with by the Supreme Court.

The Royal Gazette understands Martin succeeded in finding a new surety on Christmas Eve and was released on bail.