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ST. CROIX — The V.I. Department of Justice nabbed another man posing as a licensed contractor to perform repairs to the homes of five families in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, according to a release the department issued Monday afternoon.
Attorney General Denise George said Special Agent Leonardo Carrion Sr. conducted a fraud investigation and executed a warrant for the arrest of Juan Rosario, 56, on felony charges that included: five counts each of obtaining money by false pretense, grand larceny, and embezzlement by clerks, agents, employees, etc.
Rosario allegedly took more than $ 91,000 from his victims for work he never intended to complete.
Magistrate Miguel Camacho found that there was probable cause to sustain all of the charges and move the case forward.
Bail was set at $100,000 and Rosario was ordered to abide by several court-imposed bail conditions, which include no contact with the witnesses and reporting to the probation office weekly.
Rosario is also not allowed to leave the territory and must reside with a third-party custodian.
According to an affidavit in support of the arrest warrant, Rosario presented himself as a licensed contractor to five families on St. Croix following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017. Rosario offered to perform repair work to the homes, but he never started some or left other jobs incomplete, according to DOJ.
His victims, who reside in Estate Whim, Estate White Bay, Peter’s Rest, Judith’s Fancy and Tullipan Welcome collectively paid Rosario approximately $91,688.00 to perform repair work to their homes.
The homeowners complained first to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs. The DOJ Special Investigations Division began investigating afterward.
Mr. Carrion said an inspection of the Department Licensing and Consumer Affairs’ files showed Rosario is not a licensed contractor within the Virgin Islands.
Arraignment for Juan Rosario is scheduled for March 11, 2020.
The Department of Justice did not provide a mugshot of Rosario to the media.
