A Frederiksted man who claimed to be the owner of a cleaning service faced charges in Superior Court on Wednesday after police accused him of helping himself to funds from the bank accounts of unsuspecting victims. Investigators from the V.I. Police Department Economic Crimes Unit say Ke’Shawn Louis carried out a string of fraudulent acts on St. John, St. Croix and St. Thomas in May 2023.
Authorities said they were alerted to the scheme after a tenant in Coral Bay, St. John and a convenience store owner in Christiansted filed complaints about checks written and cashed without authorization. More than $1,300 was withdrawn from the tenant’s account while he was off-island for medical treatment.
An additional check of $300 also dinged the tenant’s account, which police later found was written to a shade-tree mechanic in Hospital Ground. The convenience store owner said he helped an acquaintance cash three checks worth $3,850, but two were returned by the bank.
The store owner confronted the suspect, demanding repayment; court documents said he then gained access to the suspect’s car, retrieving checks and a checkbook belonging to someone later identified as the complainant from St. John.
As the investigation continued over a one-year period, police also discovered a pair of property owners who paid the bogus businessman to clean their home and evict a tenant while they were living off-island in Colorado.
Investigators said those services were never rendered, although the clients paid more than $1,700.
Another cleaning client told police she paid for cleaning services from Supreme Cleaning USVI. A few days later, while doing a routine review of her checking account found three random blank checks missing from her checkbook. The checks showed up after they were cashed totaling four thousand five hundred fifty-two dollars.
By locating victims, cleaning crew members and associates of the suspect, police were able to trace the transactions back Louis. According to records filed in Superior Court, Louis sat down for an interview with police and claimed to be the chief executive officer of Supreme Cleaning.
A records check conducted at Licensing and Consumer Affairs revealed that Louis applied for a business license but the application was never completed and later rejected. And, a review of records and security footage at banks on St. John and St. Thomas tied back to Louis and two associates — one found in Smith Bay, the other tracked down after relocating to Florida.
Police obtained an arrest warrant for Louis on Aug. 2 and served it on the suspect on Sept. 3. He was charged with multiple counts of grand larceny and obtaining money under false pretense.
Louis made an initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Simone Van Holten-Turnbull on Wednesday. An arraignment hearing has been set for Sept. 20 at 10 a.m.
Landlord, Tenant Dispute
A moving-day dispute between a landlord and a tenant in Estate Altona resulted in police arresting the property owner. Police at the scene said the accused and the victim gave different accounts of a shooting that left the tenant with a gunshot wound.
The landlord — identified as Keith Marsham — is charged with assault and reckless endangerment. Police said the occupant of a dwelling owned by Marsham was scheduled to leave the premises by Aug. 23. An argument ensued when the landlord demanded the unit be cleaned before the occupant left.
The occupant refused, saying he was only there to remove his belongings. Police said two of the occupant’s friends reached the scene, and Marsham said he felt threatened. A heated exchange of words continued, and the victim said the landlord drew a weapon and discharged a shot.
The occupant sustained a gunshot wound to the arm; police who were summoned to the scene of the dispute took statements from those on the scene and placed Marsham into custody.
