Mugshot of Damian McAleavey. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — The owner of a company focused on remodeling kitchens was arrested and charged with felony larceny after a homeowner said he failed to deliver contracted work and subsequently refused to refund her money.
According to court documents, the Economic Crime Unit began investigating a report made by a woman in late February 2023. She told them that she had seen a Facebook advertisement for a company owned by Damian McAleavey, VI Stone, which installed countertops. A second company of his, Love your Kitchen and Bath, remodeled kitchens. She told police that she liked the work that she had seen online, and thus she contracted Mr. McAleavey to perform some work on her kitchen.
In October 2022, the woman says she transferred $21,500 from her bank account to his Teachers Federal Credit Union Business account. A month and a half later, she transferred an additional $6,450, for a total payment of $27,950 to Mr. McAleavey.
After the first payment but before the second, Mr. McAleavey visited the woman’s house with two of his workers, and removed the woman’s old kitchen cabinets. At some point, the woman says she became anxious about whether the work would be completed in time for her family’s arrival, and so she contacted the supplier of the materials – a company not owned or controlled by Mr. McAleavey – to enquire about the status of the order. That company reportedly responded that Love your Kitchen and Bath could not be found in its database.
Upon receiving the alarming news, the homeowner contacted Mr. McAleavey to request a refund and a return of her kitchen cabinets, which he reportedly declined.
Detectives say they attempted several times to obtain a recorded statement from Mr. McAleavey, with no success. Their own investigations into the supply company revealed that the entity does not ship inventory outside of the United States. Additionally, they do not appear to have a business relationship with either of Mr. McAleavey’s two companies. One of those companies – VI Stone – is not even registered with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, police investigators found.
A warrant was issued for Mr. McAleavey’s arrest on July 31 2024, and on August 27, he surrendered to detectives of the Economic Crime Unit. He was charged with two counts each of grand larceny and obtaining money by false pretenses, and remanded into custody to await his advice of rights hearing.
In court on Tuesday, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis found probable cause to uphold all charges against him, and allowed for the posting of 10% of his $20,000 bail requirement in cash, with the remainder to be signed as an unsecured bond. Mr. McAleavey will be required to report to the probation office each week via telephone, and is banned from consuming alcohol or other controlled substances while the case is pending. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition or any dangerous weapon, and must surrender his captain's license and travel documents to the court.
His next court appearance has been scheduled for September 13.
