CHRISTIANSTED — A supermarket stocker who stole an estimated $80,000 in alcohol and then re-sold it on the black market was returned to St. Croix to face criminal charges.
Jaheel “Lalo” Smith, 30, of Mon Bijou, was arrested and charged with grand larceny and embezzlement by employee, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Police were dispatched by the 911 Emergency Call Center to Plaza Extra East for a larceny incident at 9:20 p.m. on October 2, according to the VIPD.
Officers met with the manager of Plaza Extra East who reported that employee Jaheel Smith was observed removing several boxes of alcoholic beverages from their shelves, VIPD Communications Director Glen Dratte said.
“The manager confronted Mr. Smith and he admitted to stealing over a period of several months between $60,000.00 to $80,000.00 worth of alcoholic beverages which he then sold to several local businesses,” according to Dratte.
Further investigation was conducted into the matter and a warrant was obtained for Smith’s arrest, police said.
Smith fled the territory and was subsequently apprehended by Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia on November 12, according to police.
Smith signed a waiver of extradition and he was picked up and transported back to St. Croix yesterday, the VIPD said.
Bail for Smith was set at $35,000.00. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the custody of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility pending an advice-of-rights hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
The VIPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) investigated the alleged grand larceny involving Smith.