A St. Thomas travel agent arrested last month for embezzlement, delivering worthless checks and obtaining money under false pretenses has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, according to Radio One News.
Robert Starr, 28, who entered the plea Thursday at his arraignment in Territorial Court, was arrested June 26 after several of his customers filed complaints with the V.I. Department of Justice.
According to the complaint, a man named John Gibson used a credit card to pay Starr $1,250 for two round-trip tickets to London; however, when Gibson's daughter called the airline to confirm the reservations a month later, she was told they had never been made, the complaint says.
In the second case, St. Thomas resident Jens Jensen, who is Gibson's son-in-law, paid $1,300 for three plane tickets but never received them.
According to the complaint, Starr sent Jensen and Gibson a worthless refund check for $3,000. The complaint alleges Starr knew he had less than $100 in his account when he wrote the check.
Starr's not-guilty plea entitles him to a jury trial, which should take place later this year.