A 20-year-old woman is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly cashing a fraudulent $67,914.32 check drawn on the Government of the Virgin Islands’ American Rescue Plan Act account, the Virgin Islands Police Department announced Friday.
According to a police report, detectives from the Economic Crime Unit opened the investigation on Aug. 14, after receiving a complaint from the V.I. Finance Department. Investigators determined that Jeannia Caleb entered the FirstBank branch on the St. Thomas waterfront on July 9 and cashed a check that appeared to be issued by the government.
The Finance Department later confirmed that the check was fraudulent and had not been issued to Caleb. She was identified by bank surveillance footage, according to VIPD.
Caleb turned herself in to authorities Thursday. She was arrested and charged with passing forged bills or notes, grand larceny, and obtaining money by false pretense. Her bail was set at $20,000 by court order. After processing at the Richard Callwood Central Command, she was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending her advice of rights hearing, as she was unable to post bail, the report stated.
St. Croix Source
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