Mugshot of Solly Lantigua. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — A St. Croix woman was arrested Thursday for allegedly defrauding a medical patient by calling the patient via phone and requesting payment for a past-due bill, then using the patient's credit card to make personal online purchases.
The V.I.P.D.'s Economic Crimes Unit in the St. Thomas District launched a credit card fraud investigation on May 6, and at the conclusion of the probe determined that Solly Lantigua, age 23 who was employed at a medical establishment as an administrative assistant, obtained a patient’s credit card information over the phone under the pretense of collecting payment for a past due bill. After obtaining the patient’s credit card information, she used it to make personal purchases online.
The St. Thomas-St. John District ECU detectives were over the case because the incident occurred in St. Thomas, though Lantigua is from St. Croix, according to V.I.P.D. Director of Communications Glen Dratte.
The ECU detectives on Thursday executed the arrest warrant for Lantigua, and she was charged with one count of fraudulent use of a credit card, embezzlement by clerks, agents and employees, obtaining money by false pretense, and petit larceny.
Unable to post bail of $30,000, Lantigua was remanded to the John A. Bell Correctional Facility pending her advisement hearing.
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