Two Virgin Islanders were arrested Friday by federal agents and charged with impersonating FBI employees as part of a scheme to defraud people out of hundreds of dollars, U.S. Attorney Ronald Sharpe said in a news release.
According to Sharpe, Alana Liburd of St. John and Yamini Potter of St. Thomas appeared in District Court on St. Thomas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and were released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.
Court documents indicate Potter, 31, and Liburd, 30, told several people they were FBI employees responsible for forming a new FBI taskforce in the Virgin Islands. Potter and Liburd then recruited several individuals to become FBI agents, but only after receiving hundreds of dollars from them, which they claimed was for initial paperwork and training.
Under federal law it is a felony to falsely assume or pretend to be an officer or employee of a federal agency and demand or obtain money or thing of value.
If convicted, Potter and Liburd each face up to three years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
