Mugshot of Sherwayne Felix who reportedly pressured an employee to facilitate theft at a Home Depot. Photo: VIC

Following Grant’s arrest earlier this year, she told police that Sherwayne Felix had approached her at a bar some time in 2023, and according to documents submitted to the court, “propositioned her about needing merchandise from the Home Depot,” where Grant worked part-time. She reportedly declined, but weeks later he reportedly approached her again. 

The second time, she told police, Felix reportedly told her that he knew where she and her mother lived. Grant took this as a threat, told police that she agreed to Felix’s scheme, and on four different occasions allowed designated people to leave the store with unpaid merchandise. Felix was one of them, with Stevie Brown and Larry Webbe the other two. 

When police contacted Felix on February 1, he told them that he was in the process of building his house and frequently makes purchases from the store on behalf of his contractor. He denied asking Grant for any favors, and said that he has never spoken to her outside of the Home Depot. When shown a picture of him at her cashier’s register from last December, he pointed out his wallet and a card in Grant’s hand. Another photo, taken days earlier, was of him purchasing snap ties and plywood, he said. Police say he was unable to provide receipts for either purchase. 

In both instances, however, police said the amount that Felix paid with his card was far less than the value of merchandise that he left with. On one day, his card was charged $48.17 for over $700 worth of materials. At the end of December, Felix visited Grant’s register and left with almost $900 worth of merchandise, for which his card was ultimately charged $7.23. Grant had failed to scan some of the items that Felix left the store with, while others had been scanned and subsequently voided from the receipt. Police say that the losses incurred by Home Depot on the items Felix stole amounted to $1,620.01.

Brown, meanwhile, admitted to police that he had paid $40 for merchandise valued at over $1000. 

Larry Webbe spoke to police on February 22. The Florida resident told police that he was in the territory last year in the summer of 2023, and subsequently spent the last quarter of the year in the Virgin Islands. He was shown a photograph of him inside Home Depot and identified himself. He told police that he knows Grant, and admitted to having over $1000 in merchandise in his cart that day, for which he paid $28.93. He said that he did not return the items because he did not want Grant to get into trouble. Store records indicate that the Home Depot cashier voided 13 items from Webbe’s receipt. 

All three men were arrested and charged with grand larceny (aiding and abetting), buying, receiving or possessing stolen property, and obtaining property by false pretenses. 

Brown and Webbe appeared before Magistrate Paula Norkaitis on Wednesday for their advice of rights hearings. In both cases, the judge found probable cause to uphold all the charges against them, and set bail at $20,000, with a provision for a 10% cash payment. While updated court records were not available for Felix as of press time, it is expected that his bail may be set at a similar level, as the charges against him are the same.