FirstBank Sued After Former Employee Allegedly Drained Dead Man's Checking Account

ST. CROIX — The estate of a deceased USVI resident is suing FirstBank for allegedly refusing to refund over $200,000 that was stolen by a rogue employee, according to court documents.

The complaint, which was filed on Friday, details a dispute between FirstBank and the estate of John Lindy Steward, who died in April 2021. Mr. Steward had a checking and savings account with FirstBank. When he died, his checking account balance stood at just over $200,000, the lawsuit claims.

Mr. Steward's will appointed Reverend Arlington Chaseau of the Sunny Isle Baptist Church as the executor of his estate. The church was also the beneficiary of the late man's estate, including the money in his bank accounts. According to the lawsuit, Mr. Chaseau informed FirstBank of Mr. Steward's death in early May of 2021, bringing a certified copy of the death certificate along. The bank reportedly accepted the certificate, and thus the death of their client was placed on file.

This meant that Mr. Steward's accounts were supposed to have been “frozen,” according to the purported internal policy of the bank.