Alric Lindsay 
By Alric Lindsay
A man who forged a landlord’s signature on a mandatory immigration housing form to secure a local work permit unlawfully was handed a suspended prison sentence today, September 21, 2026, in the Summary Court.
Cleve Anthony Dennis appeared with defence attorney Crister Brady, facing charges of forgery and making a false representation. The court heard that Dennis, whose prior work permit expired in June 2026, forged a landlord’s signature on an Accommodation Supplemental Form.
Based on the facts, a complaint was received from a landlord on November 7, 2025, alleging that the Dennis had forged the landlord’s signature on an Accommodation Supplement Form and submitted the document to the Workforce Opportunities & Residency Cayman (WORC) Department in support of his work permit application.
The landlord provided a sworn affidavit detailing her complaint and denying that she signed or authorized the signing of the Accommodation Form. She also provided a copy of the Accommodation Form, which she obtained through her own Freedom of Information (FOI) request from the WORC Department.
The specific section of the said Accommodation Form which bears the disputed signature is the Landlord’s section, which was completed and signed by Dennis.
As a result of this complaint and supporting documentation, Dennis was requested to attend WORC headquarters for an interview in relation to the allegations. He was informed that he was being investigated in connection with possible forgery, making a false representation, and causing or allowing a false representation to be made to the WORC department.
Reportedly, Dennis was interviewed under caution on the February 10, 2026, in the presence of his legal representative. During the interview he admitted to signing the name of the landlord on the Accommodation Form in question – specifically in the “landlord” section, and submitting the work permit application to the WORC Department.
He further stated that although he signed without her permission, and unbeknown her, he felt that he had no choice as he was unable to get in contact with her, and that this all stemmed from an ongoing dispute between himself and the landlord concerning a rent-to-own agreement they had both entered into – and now she is seeking to reclaim the property.
In concluding, he advised that this dispute is still ongoing, and that he did not believe his actions amounted to forgery or making a false representation, as he did not attempt to replicate the landlord’s signature but instead simply signed her name.
Magistrate Murray determined that Dennis exhibited “high culpability,” noting that his actions displayed some degree of planning, targeting a government apparatus. The court further observed that while the fraud caused no direct monetary loss, Dennis would have derived a benefit from the grant of the work permit.
Magistrate Murray noted that he did not accept the argument from defence counsel that Dennis did not appreciate the circumstances of his conduct, adding that “Conduct of this nature leads to a loss of confidence in the system and apparatus.”
Turning to the pre-sentencing report for Dennis, Magistrate Murray highlighted that Dennis applied for permanent residency, had a low risk of reoffending and expressed remorse.
In the circumstances, Magistrate Murray said that the starting point for the sentence was 18 months, which he reduced by one-third for the early guilty plea made by Dennis. This resulted in a sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment, which was suspended for two years.
