CHRISTIANSTED — Police are investigating after a Kmart manager was accused of using the company credit card to buy at least $15.000 in personal items for herself.
Joanne Nickeo, 59, was arrested and charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, obtaining money by false pretense, embezzlement by employee, grand larceny, participating in fraud on creditors and access to a computer for fraudulent purposes, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The case began on September 25, 2023, when detectives with the Economic Crimes Unit began investigating the business practices of Joanne Nickeo, according to the VIPD.
The ECU investigation revealed that Joanne Nickeo was the manager for Kmart in Sunny Isles Shopping Center and that she was entrusted with a company credit card (P-card) to make purchases on behalf of Kmart, police said.
VIPD mug shot of Joanne Nickeo, 59, of St. Croix.
“Nickeo willfully used the P-Card to purchase items and make withdrawals that were not authorized by Kmart for her personal benefit, on several different occasions, while she was employed with the
company,” VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said. “Joanne Nickeo admitted to making fraudulent invoices online for her businesses J&J Supplies, Sparkling Tots and Sparkling World, which were not legitimate.”
She then unlawfully claimed reimbursement for those transactions from Kmart, causing Kmart a loss
of $15,358.83, according to Chichester.
Detectives with the VIPD’s Economic Crimes Unit executed an arrest warrant on Nickeo at her residence, without incident at 10:28 a.m. Thursday, according to police.
Nickeo was transported to the Wilbur H. Francis Police Operation Building, where she was
processed and booked.
Bail for Nickeo was set at $35,000.00. Unable to post bail, she was transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility in Golden Grove.
Nickeo is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court.