Police: Blackmailers Threatened To Post Personal Information Found On IPhone

ST. CROIX - A security guard helped two women blackmail a manthrough Facebook, threatening to post private information from hislost iPhone on the Internet if the man did not pay them $1,000,police said.

Carolina Castillo, 18, used her Facebook name, "IngettinMymoney," to threaten a man who lost his iPhone in December bysending him messages on the social networking site to organize apayment for the phone's release, said V.I. Police Sgt. MarisolIrizarry in a written statement.

Castillo, along with Indra Butler, 20, and Jose Felix, 24, allwere arrested and charged with blackmail, conspiracy and possessionof stolen property.

They appeared before V.I. Superior Court Magistrate Judge JessicaGallivan on Friday.

A man sought the help of police last week, after he beganreceiving messages to his Facebook profile a few days earlier fromsomeone under the name Ingettin Mymoney, according to Irizarry. Theman told police he had lost his iPhone - valued at $600 - on Dec. 26at a local business.

Ingettin Mymoney continued to send messages, threatening topublish the man's personal information online if he did not pay$1,000 in exchange for the mobile device, Irizarry said. The persongave the man directions to follow on Thursday to recover the phone.

He was told to go to Urban Threadz at Sunny Isle Shopping Centerand to bring $1,000 cash and wait.

The man did as he was instructed, while he also wore a recordingdevice and police were watching, Irizarry said.

Shortly after the man arrived, a security guard approached theman and escorted him back to the security office to exchange thecash, Irizarry said. Once the transaction took place, policearrested the security guard, who turned out to be Felix. They foundthe money on him, police said.

The incident seemed to be over, but 10 minutes later, two womenappeared at the security office and asked the guard who was on dutywhere to find Felix, Irizarry said.

The on-duty guard asked if they were there for the money and wastold, "Yes," police said.

The guard then contacted police, who had two more suspects - whoturned out to be Castillo and Butler - to pick up, Irizarry said.

Ingettin Mymoney was Castillo's Facebook name, and all threesuspects admitted to taking part in the scheme, Irizarry said.

The three were all released on an unsecured $10,000 bond and arescheduled to be arraigned Feb. 2.

- Contact reporter Daniel Shea at 774-8772 ext. 457 or e-maildshea@dailynews.vi.