A St. Croix woman is facing fraud charges after being served two arrest warrants, the V.I. Police Department reported Friday.
On two different occasions, investigations were initiated by VIPD on 34-year-old Jenae Almestica. The first investigation on Feb 25, 2021, revealed that while Almestica was employed at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, she knowingly prepared over sixty-six registrations using her login information, which were all printed with Almestica’s initials for different customers, and embezzled a total of $6,256.37 of government funds, according to the police report.
The second investigation on April 13, 2021, revealed Almestica took a female victim’s checkbook without her permission, forged her signature, and wrote eleven checks totaling $8,516 without authorization, the police report stated.
Almestica turned herself into police Thursday and was subsequently served two arrest warrants and arrested without incident. Almestica was charged with embezzlement by public and private officers, two counts of obtaining money by false pretense, two counts of grand larceny, conversion of government property, and forgery, the report stated.
Based on the incidents, two different bails were set, $10,000 for embezzlement by public and private officers, obtaining money by false pretense, grand larceny, and conversion of government property, and $20,000 for obtaining money by false pretense, forgery, and grand larceny. Almestica was unable to post bail, and she was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correction Facility pending her advice of rights hearing, police said.
