CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man was charged with fraud and related charges after allegedly using stolen credit card numbers to purchase $8,000 worth of “high-end alcohol and electronics” at Cost-U-Less, authorities said.
Xavier Calvin Graham-Lutchman, 27, was arrested and charged with eight counts grand larceny, nine counts of receipt of money, goods and services obtained by fraudulent use of credit cards, one count of petit larceny, nine counts of theft-obtaining credit card through fraudulent means, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The case began on July 30, 2024, when detectives with the Economic Crime Unit started investigating a complaint filed by Cost-U-Less in St. Thomas, according to the VIPD.
The investigation revealed that Graham-Lutchman used six different stolen credit card numbers in nine transactions to purchase over $8,000.00 of merchandise from Cost U Less to include but not limited to high-end alcohol and valuable electronics such as Apple iPad minis and Play Station 5’s, VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said.
VIPD mug shot of Xavier Calvin Graham-Lutchman, 27 of St. Thomas.
The investigation further revealed that Graham-Lutchman is not an authorized user of at least two of the credit cards, as confirmed by the cardholders, and all nine transactions were charged back by the bank for fraud, according to Chichester.
“The investigation also revealed that one credit card number is registered to a resident of Massachusetts and another to a resident of Pennsylvania,” she said.
Graham-Lutchman was spotted Monday on the shore of Lindbergh Bay Beach near the Emerald Beach Hotel Beach Bar, where he was apprehended by Economic Crime Unit investigators, police said.
The ECU detectives were ably assisted by Virgin Islands Port Authority peace officers, placed under arrest without incident, according to police.
Graham-Lutchman was transported to Richard Callwood Command where he was booked, processed and officially charged.
Bail for Graham-Lutchman was set at $20,000.00. Unable to post bail, he was transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the St. Thomas jail.
The suspect is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court.