Lawsuit Accuses Late St. Croix Businessman’s Son and Daughter-in-Law of Draining Family Companies and Cutting Out Heir
2026-03-12 14:53:30 - VI News Staff
Was the daughter of a deceased St. Croix businessman being cheated out of her rightful inheritance by the fraudulent actions of her late brother and his wife? Those are the claims being made in a new civil lawsuit filed in Superior Court.
The complaint was submitted on behalf of Nicole Wotjas, daughter of the late Noel Loftus – founder of Floor Specialists Inc. and Tropical Supply Inc. She has accused her late brother Alexander Loftus and his wife Andrea of taking control of the family businesses, funneling company money toward their personal interests, and excluding Nicole from her role in company management. After the passing of Noel Loftus in 2021, ownership of the businesses along with management duties were to be shared between Alexander and Nicole, the lawsuit claims. According to the complaint, Alexander and Nicole offered to visit St. Croix on a temporary basis to evaluate the operations of the businesses in preparation for a potential sale of the companies.
Rather than a quick trip, the couple are alleged to have settled in the late businessman’s home for a lengthy stay, spending “more than two and a half years rent-free, without any lease or board approval.” In that timeframe, Alexander and Andrea “took full control of the businesses, bank accounts, and internal records, while excluding Nicole from any meaningful oversight,” the complaint alleges. The aggrieved sister claims that the scheme to cut her out of the shared management and control of the family businesses began in 2018. When they gained control over company assets and systems in 2021, Alexander and Andrea immediately began "locking Nicole and other shareholders out of the companies’ financial records,” and “terminating or intimidating those employees” who began asking questions about unusual transactions, the complaint states.
Company credit cards began to be used to make personal expenditures, according to the lawsuit. The unauthorized purchases reportedly exceeded $380,000. “They then used Tropical Supply’s corporate bank account to pay $146,793.95 toward those credit card balances,” the complaint states. The transaction was a violation of company bylaws, the lawsuit argues. Both “Alexander and Andrea alternated in using these cards and authorizing payments, evidencing shared knowledge and intent,” the lawsuit claims. The spending was done without the involvement of the corporate board. Making matters worse, the couple allegedly “benefited personally from the misuse of these funds and took coordinated steps to conceal it, including altering transaction entries and fabricating documentation. READ MORE... https://viconsortium.com/vi-legal/virgin-islands-lawsuit-accuses-late-st--croix-businessman-s-son-and-daughter-in-law-of-draining-family-companies-and-cutting-out-heir