A St. Croix bank teller allegedly transferred $100,000 from a 90-year-old customer’s account without his knowledge and used the money to buy a $60,000 car, police said Tuesday. It might not have been the first time.
Jahmaira Farrell, 29, of Barren Spot, faces 21 counts including forgery, grand larceny, passing forged or counterfeited matters, passing or possession of forged bills or notes, embezzlement by fiduciaries, aggravated identity theft, participating in fraud on creditors, access to computer for fraudulent purposes, and financial exploitation of an elderly or dependent adult.
Farrell also faces conspiracy charges for working with a yet-uncharged accomplice, according to court records.
Working as a teller at Oriental Bank, Farrell allegedly created false documents authorizing a manager’s check for $100,000.00 payable to her accomplice, police said.
The accomplice allegedly deposited the check into his Banco Popular de Puerto Rico account before wiring $60,386.49 to Metro Motors Management Incorporation in Delray Beach, Florida, for Farrell’s 2022 blue Acura MDX. This accomplice also allegedly gave Farrell a $30,000 check, which she deposited into her personal Bank of St. Croix account.
The accomplice spent the remaining $9,613.51 from the alleged heist, police said.
“Additional fraudulent checks were discovered to have been cashed against the victim’s account; however, those were determined to fall outside the statute of limitations,” police said.
The statute of limitations on many financial crimes in the Virgin Islands is three years or less.
Farrell was apprehended at the Mars Hill U.S. Post Office Monday. She was advised of her rights, served her arrest warrant, and placed under arrest without incident, police said.
Unable to post $35,000 bail, Farrell was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correction Facility.
St. Croix Source
Local news, Police & Courts
