Detectives of the Insular Investigation Bureau, which looks into white-collar crimes, charged Sinclair Phillips on Monday with obtaining money by false pretenses and grand larceny in relation to alleged embezzlement.
At the time of his indictment, Phillips was already incarcerated at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility on a previous burglary charge, according to a Police Department statement. His bail was set at $30,000 and he was remanded back to Golden Grove.
Detectives said Phillips, also known as “Ragga” diverted money from credit union account holders with the help of credit union employee Atia James, his girlfriend at the time.
Kareem Espinosa, Isadore Garcia and Showayne Modeste were involved in the same crime, according to police, and those three have already been convicted.
Detectives said Phillips and the others accessed the funds of other account holders and diverted more than $26,000 to themselves between August and September 2006. Police say Phillips, who they believe developed the scheme, took the bulk of the cash and paid off the other perpetrators.
Espinosa, Garcia and Modeste pled guilty and Atia James was found guilty of obtaining money under false pretenses and other charges.
