Crime

Officer Charged With Grand Larceny After Bodycam Shows Her Handling Missing $17,000 Gold Chain Twice, Police Say

ST. THOMAS — Aisha Somersall, a former V.I. Police Department officer whose body-worn camera reportedly captured her handling a $17,000 gold chain twice before the jewelry went missing, was arrested Wednesday on charges of grand larceny and appropriating lost property. A magistrate found probable cause on both charges and granted her release on a $10,000 unsecured bond. The charges stem from a September 28, 2024, confrontation involving Lavelle Campbell II outside Jungle Night Club in Frenchtown, during which Mr. Campbell alleges that Ms. Somersall pulled at the gold chain around his neck. The chain was never recovered, although a separate diamond-studded pendant was eventually returned to its owner. According to an arrest-warrant affidavit prepared by the VIPD's Economic Crime Unit, Mr. Campbell told investigators that he was outside the nightclub at approximately 4 a.m. when Ms. Somersall instructed him to leave the area. Mr. Campbell said he walked to his rental Jeep Wrangler and...