The manager of a retail store at the Sunny Isles Shopping Center was released from custody Monday following her arrest by the VIPD Economic Crimes Unit. Joanne Nickeo, 59, is accused of using a Kmart company credit card — called a P-Card — to make unauthorized transactions.
“Nickeo was the manager for Kmart in Sunny Isles Shopping Center, and she was entrusted with a company credit card, P-Card, to make purchases on behalf of Kmart. Nickeo willfully, used the P-Card to purchase items and make withdrawals that were not authorized by Kmart for her personal benefit,” said a VIPD news release dated Sept. 13.
The unauthorized transaction cost the company $15,358.83; the accused was arrested at her home on Friday without incident, the statement said. Nickeo was 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 computer for fraudulent purposes.
Bail was set at $35,000. The manager was released on Monday after paying a cash bond of $2,005.
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A job applicant on St. Croix was charged with breaking into an auto repair shop where he had sought work the day before.
Police on St. Croix arrested Juan Lopez Velazques Jr. on Saturday, about a week after the owner of Winston Automotive Repair in Friedenstahl reported a break-in. An image caught on security camera of a man hiding in a vehicle at the repair shop helped police identify the suspect, court records said.
Items reported missing on Sept. 7 included two laptop computers, a drill and a scanner. Both the shop owner and the suspect told police they met Sept. 6 when Velazques sought work at the repair shop.
When interviewed by police, the suspect said he was high on cocaine at the time of the break-in and hid inside a car at the shop because he thought someone was chasing him.
After his arrest on Sept. 14, Velazques was charged with burglary, grand larceny and destruction of property. He made an initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Ernest Morris at an advice of rights hearing on Monday.
