St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – On January 29, 2025, the Economic Crimes Unit initiated an investigation into a complaint filed by a 90-year-old male victim, reporting an incident of Obtaining Money by False Pretense. The investigation uncovered that Jahmaira Farrell, while employed as a bank teller at Oriental Bank, abused her access and authority to fraudulently obtain funds from the victim’s bank account. Farrell created false documents to authorize the printing of a Manager’s Check for $100,000.00, payable to her accomplice. This accomplice subsequently deposited the check into his Banco Popular de Puerto Rico account and later wired $60,386.49 to Metro Motors Management Incorporation in Florida for the purchase of a 2022 blue Acura MDX, which is owned by Farrell and provided Farrell a check in the amount of $30,000.00, which she deposited into her personal Bank of St. Croix account. During this incident the accomplice retained and spent the remaining $9,613.51 using his Banco Popular account. Additional fraudulent checks were discovered to have been cashed against the victim’s account; however, those were determined to fall outside the statute of limitations.
As a result of this investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Jahmaira Farrell.
On June 9, 2025, Detectives from the Economic Crimes Unit, were present at the United States Postal Services located in Mars Hill, where 29-year-old Jahmaira Farrell was advised of her rights, served her arrest warrant, and placed under arrest without incident. Farrell was then transported to the Wilbur H. Francis Command Police Operation building, where she was subsequently booked and charged with Obtaining Money by False Pretense, Forgery, Uttering or Passing Forged or Counterfeited Matters, Passing or Possession of Forged Bills or Notes, Embezzlement by Fiduciaries, Grand Larceny, Aggravated Identity Theft Participating in Fraud on Creditors, Access to Computer for Fraudulent Purposes, Financial Exploitation of an Elderly or Dependent Adult, and Conspiracy. Based on the incident, bail was set at $35,000.00 for the alleged incident. Unable to post bail, Farrell was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correction Facility pending her Advice of Rights Hearing.
