KINGSHILL — A St. Croix woman who used her company’s credit card to steal $48,891.48 is in official custody today.
Jahreema Barnes, 39, was arrested Wednesday and charged with obtaining money by false pretenses, grand larceny, embezzlement by employee, identity theft, and access to computer for fraudulent purposes, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The Economic Crimes Unit began an investigation into multiple theft complaints filed by a business on November 11, 2022, according to the VIPD.
“The investigation revealed that Jahreema Barnes embezzled $48,891.48 from the complainant’s business account by depositing several different vendors checks into her personal account at USAA without authorization,” VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said. “As a result, an arrest warrant was issued for Jahreema Barnes on October 24, 2023.”
Barnes surrendered herself to officers at the Wilbur H. Francis Command Police Station at 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, where she was placed under arrest and advised of her Miranda Rights, which she waived and signed, according to Chichester.
The suspect was subsequently booked and processed at police headquarters in Mars Hill.
Bail for Barnes was set at $35,000.00. Unable to post bail, she was remanded to custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility.
Barnes was scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court this morning.