“He Threatened to Murder Me”: Property Owner Alleges Armed Intimidation, Fraud, and Illegal Subletting by Con Man Tenant
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
DE ENDRAGT, EAST COAST DEMERARA — A local property manager says she is trapped in a state of terror and intense frustration, accusing her tenant of running an illegal subletting ring, bouncing rental checks, and using armed men to threaten her life.
Ashanti Bernard, who oversees a bank-owned three-bedroom apartment located at Lot 1073 De Endragt, East Coast Demerara, has come forward to issue a public warning regarding her tenant, William Lockhart. Bernard claims that after she confronted Lockhart over a trail of financial irregularities and unauthorized occupants, the tenant claimed ties to the ruling political party and threatened to murder her.
The Discovery of an Illegal Subletting Scheme
According to Bernard, the tenancy quickly deteriorated after she discovered that Lockhart had secretly carved up the three-bedroom apartment. Without her knowledge or contractual consent, the tenant reportedly furnished the back sections of the home and began operating a commercial subletting scheme targeting Spanish-speaking migrants.
“No matter how far I go, I will not get no satisfaction,” Bernard told Nightly News during an emotional interview. “I rent him a three-bedroom apartment, and he ended up renting some Spanish people and end up renting them the back bedroom. He’s a con man. If I did continue with him, he would have tried to sell me out of the bank property because he isn’t renting to live—he is doing business making money off of me. When I pulled him up, this man threatened to murder me.”
An Early Morning Encounter with Armed Men
The dispute reached a dangerous flashpoint during an early morning property inspection, when Bernard claims she was ambushed by a group of unidentified men acting as Lockhart’s muscle.
“When I come out, I see he stand up on the step,” Bernard recounted. “When I turn out, I see seven man lay off with a man at the back there in the center with a cutlass, and I walk out the yard quick.”
Fearing for her immediate safety, Bernard fled the village and filed a formal report detailing the armed intimidation and death threats at the Mon Repos Police Outpost. However, she described the local police response as slow, dismissive, and completely ineffective.
Bad Check Allegations and a Political Smokescreen
In addition to the physical threats, Bernard presented evidence of financial fraud. She claims Lockhart’s suitcase is packed with bounced checks and fraudulent financial instruments used to dodge his mounting rental arrears.
| Accusations Leveled Against Tenant | Reported Operational Behavior | Legal Violations Cited |
| Financial Deception | Issuing bounced checks from traveling bags | Fraud & Financial Misrepresentation |
| Property Exploitation | Subletting rooms to non-nationals for profit | Breach of Contract & Illegal Tenancy |
| Physical Intimidation | Deploying seven men, including one with a cutlass | Criminal Tresspass & Armed Menace |
| Political Name-Dropping | Falsely claiming high-level PPP affiliation | Impersonation & Extortion Attempts |
Bernard further alleged that when she demanded a full accounting of the rent money, Lockhart attempted to bully her by falsely claiming he was deeply embedded with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). She claims he used this political smokescreen to imply he was above local police authority.
Police Command Responds Amid “Royal Runaround” Claims
Frustrated by the lack of progress at the neighborhood outpost, Nightly News contacted Assistant Commissioner of Police and Regional Division 4C Commander, Khali Pareshram, regarding the safety of the property owner.
Commander Pareshram advised Bernard to bypass the junior ranks and formally log the escalation with the station sergeant. He stated that if she remains dissatisfied with the subsequent speed of the investigation, she should contact his office directly for command intervention.
Despite the Commander’s assurance, Bernard stated she has lost faith in the local police divisions, claiming she is being given a bureaucratic “royal runaround” while her life remains in danger. She has since retained legal counsel and plans to move the matter directly to the magistrates’ court to secure an expedited eviction order and criminal protection warrants.
At the time of publication, the allegations remain claims made by Bernard, as reporters could not independently verify the criminal fraud accusations with Lockhart.
