Mugshot of Ke’Shawn K.J. Louis. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — Detectives from the VIPD's Economic Crime Unit arrested a man on charges of obtaining money by false pretenses, a release from the police department has made known.
The individual, identified as Ke’Shawn K.J. Louis, was taken into custody on September 3 following an investigation into multiple fraud-related incidents spanning several months.
According to the VIPD, the case against Louis began when a complaint was filed on May 15, 2023, leading detectives to initiate an investigation. According to the findings, Louis, who was conducting business under the name Supreme Clean USVI, had been hired by landlords in St. John, VI to evict a tenant and clean the residence while the owners were off-island. During this process, it was discovered that Louis had removed a personal checkbook from the complainant's residence without authorization. The investigation revealed that Louis traveled from St. John to St. Croix, where he used the stolen checks to cash several transactions at a local gas station.
Further complicating the matter, Louis had also received payment from the homeowners of the St. John property for eviction and cleaning services. Despite receiving these funds through digital payment services, Louis failed to file the necessary eviction paperwork with the court and did not return the money to the homeowners.
On May 30, 2023, another complaint was lodged against Louis, this time related to an incident in St. Thomas. After being hired to clean a residence in St. Thomas, Louis was accused of removing business checks without authorization. These checks were later used to pay for mechanic services on a vehicle he was operating in St. Thomas. Louis also wrote checks to a third party, compensating this individual for assisting in cashing the checks at a bank in St. Thomas.
A check with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs revealed that Louis had applied for a business license for janitorial services and supply but was denied in May 2023. Despite this denial, Louis continued to operate without the required business license.
An arrest warrant was issued for Louis by Magistrate Judge Paula Norkaitis on August 2, 2024. Louis eventually surrendered to the Economic Crime Unit on September 3, 2024, at around 4:00 p.m. He was transported to the Richard N. Callwood Command for processing. At the time of his arrest, Louis was unable to post bail and was handed over to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advise of rights hearing.
