A police detective from New York City was arrested Monday in the Virgin Islands and charged with forgery and false claims.
Detective Austin Oliver Fields Jr. had applied for a job with the St. Thomas office of the V.I. Justice Department, claiming to be a Manhattan assistant district attorney. He had presented a forged law degree from New York University and a forged letter of good standing from the New York Bar Association, along with his forged resume.
Kenneth Shulterbrandt, an agent with the local Justice Department, began to uncover the deception when he was assigned to check Fields' credentials as part of the hiring process.
"Certain inconsistencies" caused Shulterbrandt to become suspicious about Fields, according to a release from the Attorney General's Office.
However, Fields was not confronted until Monday when he reported to the Justice Department for his first day at work, where he was promptly arrested.
As a result of the arrest, Attorney General Iver Stridiron said the Task Force on Public Corruption will evaluate the need to check the credentials of other professionals now working with the V.I. government.
