A Virginia man who has outstanding arrest warrants in Hawaii and Washington has been wreaking havoc in the Virgin Islands as well.
Justin Likout was the assistant manager at The Balcony on Cruz Bay in Wharfside Village when he allegedly transferred more than $9,000 from the business to his personal account on Aug. 10.
“He had a background in banking and was able to transfer the funds through a credit card company,” said Michael SanFilippo, owner of the Balcony. “He stole almost $10,000 from me in one fell swoop.”
Likout said he was on a leave of absence from his job in Hawaii and worked at the Cruz Bay restaurant for a few months, according to SanFilippo.
Fools Co-Workers
“He said that he wanted to hang out on the island for a while,” he said. “He was a real amicable guy. He was really fun and everyone seemed to like him.”
The Balcony is stringent in their hiring practices, added SanFilippo. “Usually we are pretty careful, but this guy was good,” he said. “When we checked his references, someone at the other end said that he had worked there for a while and vouched for him. He must have had it all set up.”
SanFilippo is working with the credit card company to recuperate his losses.
Unpaid Tabs
The Balcony wasnÂ’t LikoutÂ’s only victim in the U.S.V.I. He was arrested on Jan. 16 and charged with credit card fraud on St. Thomas, where he allegedly used a guestÂ’s credit card at The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas and racked up a $6,000 tab before leaving without checking out.
Likout also left an unpaid $930 tab at Secret Harbor Beach Resort on St. Thomas, and was charged with fraudulent use of a credit card, defrauding a hotel and obtaining money under false pretenses from that incident.
Wanted Elsewhere
Likout is wanted in Oahu, Hawaii for a parole violation and obstructing a court order, according to a published report. Hawaii officials plan to extradite him, and have 30 days to provide a warrant for his arrest.
He is also wanted for a felony theft charge in Seattle, Wash-ington, but officials there do not intend to extradite.
