Two women were arrested Friday, Dec. 6, and two more are sought on charges that include grand theft and counterfeiting checks, the V.I. Police Department reported.
According to police, at 8:42 p.m. Friday detectives from the Economic Crimes Unit arrested Sandra Madrigal, 42, and Michelle Mateo, 25, and are looking for two other suspects who used their true identities to cash counterfeit checks in excess of $14,000 dollars within the territory.
The suspects allegedly counterfeited the checks using the names of established St. Croix businesses, police said.
Madrigal and Mateo were charged with obtaining money by false pretenses, forgery, uttering or passing forged or counterfeited matters, possession of forged bills or notes, grand larceny and identity theft.
Bail for both women was set at $50,000. Unable to post bail, Madrigal was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending her advice of rights hearing in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. Mateo was released on her own recognizance pending her advice of rights hearing.
Police urged anyone with information on this case to call 911, the Economic Crimes Unit at 340-778-2211 or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477. Calls to Crime Stoppers that result in the resolution of a case can qualify the caller for an anonymous cash reward.
