Woman Arrested for Fraudulent Car Rental Scheme on St. Croix

ST. CROIX — A 37-year-old woman, Laurissa S. Knight, has been arrested and charged with obtaining money by false pretenses and grand larceny, following a complaint by Hop In Car Rentals, according to the V.I. Police Department. The arrest, conducted by detectives from the VIPD's Economic Crimes Unit, took place without incident on Tuesday at 8:13 a.m.

The case against Knight began on October 27, 2023, when Hop In Car Rentals reported a financial discrepancy involving a vehicle rented between May 6, 2023, and May 25, 2023. Knight is accused of using her Banco Popular Visa Debit card to pay $885 for the rental, only to later file a fraudulent claim with Banco Popular. In her claim, Knight alleged that her debit card was lost and that she had not authorized any transactions with Hop In Car Rentals.

Banco Popular, upon concluding its investigation into Knight’s claim, reimbursed her the full amount of $885. Despite the reimbursement, Knight failed to settle her outstanding debt with Hop In Car Rentals, leading to a loss of $885 for the business.