District of the Virgin Islands
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Tortola Boat Captain Sentenced for Entering the U.S. IllegallyRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Unites States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Juwon Potter, 25, of Tortola, BVI was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to pay $2,000 for illegally entering the United States. Potter was tried for destruction of evidence, illegally bringing in an undocumented noncitizen and illegally entering the United States.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Potter was stopped by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Marine Interdiction Agents (MIA) and a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) during marine patrol of the waters between St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands and Norman Island, British Virgin Islands. The defendant was the captain of a vessel traveling away from Coral Bay, St. John just before dusk. The defendant could not produce any personal identification or documentation for his vessel, nor could he explain his presence in U.S. waters.
The defendant indicated that he was returning to the British Virgin Islands and drifted into U.S. waters when his vessel had engine trouble. During the vessel inspection, the defendant was asked if he had a phone. The defendant unlocked his phone and handed it to the agents. Upon examining the phone, the HSI special agent observed a Whatsapp text message exchange between the defendant and an unknown individual. In the text exchange, the agent saw photos of two males and a message sent from the defendant stating, "just the two men?" and "send 2000 WU to Juwon Potter." The defendant was arrested for alien smuggling.
An agent placed the defendant’s phone on a work bench attached to the center console of the CBP vessel. The defendant was in the act of being moved to a seat behind the work bench in order to return to shore when he lunged for the phone and threw it overboard. The agent heard a splash and saw the phone’s illuminated screen sink beneath the surface of the water. Subsequent to the defendant’s arrest, CBP agents detained an undocumented noncitizen male matching the photo (wearing the same clothes) that the agent saw on the defendant’s phone.
A federal jury acquitted Potter of destruction of evidence and alien smuggling and returned a guilty verdict for illegally entering the United States.
This case was investigated by HSI and CBP and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
Three Indian Nationals Detained at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport Following Their Attempted Illegal Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that three Indian nationals appeared on December 2, 2021 before Magistrate Court Judge George W. Cannon, Jr. for a preliminary hearing on criminal charges related to their alleged attempted illegal entry into the United States. Probably cause was found and the defendants were bound over to the District Court for further proceedings.
According to court documents, on November 24, 2021, at the Henry E. Rohlsen airport on St. Croix, Krishnaben Patel, age 25, Nikunjkumar Patel, age 27, and Ashokkumar Patel, age 39, presented themselves to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers for inspection to board Spirit Airlines Flight #449 from St. Croix to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A systems check revealed that their Florida driver’s licenses were not legally issued and were deemed fraudulent. Further inspection revealed that in August 2019, the three were previously detained by CBP in Tecate, California, and were processed for expedited removal. They were subsequently removed from the United States to India.
As a result, the Patels were charged by criminal complaint with Reentry by an Alien After Removal and Possession and Use of Fraudulent Documents. If convicted, the Patels face a up to a potential 10 years in prison and subsequent deportation. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that a complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
Two St. Thomas Men Charged with 210 Kilograms of Cocaine After a High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Russell Robinson and Trevor Stephen, both from St. Thomas, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller on a criminal complaint Tuesday, November 30, 2021, charging the men with conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, on Monday, November 29, 2021 around 10:15 p.m., a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) air patrol detected a vessel between St. John and St. Thomas, heading towards St. Thomas, that was traveling without its lights illuminated. AMO agents on board the aircraft observed the boat headed towards Vessup Beach, where the agents then observed two people on the vessel unload duffle bags from the boat to two people in a Toyota Tundra truck. The air patrol agents provided updates on the truck’s route to agents on land, who attempted to initiate a stop of the truck near the waterfront.
In response to the agents’ lights and sirens, the truck fled, travelling towards Hull Bay, where it then headed up a one-way road into a small residential area. While agents set up a perimeter at the entrance of the one-way, the AMO aircraft maintained its surveillance of the truck and observed as the passenger threw the duffle bags from the truck. When the truck returned to the entrance of the one-way, agents stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver, identified as Russell Robinson, and the passenger, identified as Trevor Stephen. Agents then retrieved the seven duffle bags that the AMO air patrol agents observed the passenger unload. The duffle bags contained a total of approximately 210 kilograms of a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
On December 3, 2021, Stephen and Robinson appeared before Judge Miller for a preliminary hearing and detention hearing. Both defendants were released to the custody of a third-party custodian and placed on house arrest pending the resolution of the matter.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Man Who Denied Knowing the Whereabouts of a Fugitive and Providing False Statement to F.B.I. Investigators Sentenced to 3 Months IncarcerationRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Clintford Joseph, Jr. age 54, of St. Croix was sentenced on December 3, 2021 by District Court Jude Wilma A. Lewis to three months imprisonment followed by supervised release of two years, with the first month to be served on electronic monitored house arrest. He was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine and $100 special assessment fee. Joseph, Jr. had pled guilty on October 13, 2020 in federal court to Providing a False Statement to law enforcement investigators with respect to the whereabouts of Paul Girard, Jr. a/k/a "Bogus".
According to court documents, U.S. Magistrate Judge George Cannon issued a warrant for Girard’s arrest on Oct. 28, 2020. Joseph, Jr. knowingly made a false statement to law enforcement officers on November 5, 2020 when he told federal investigators that he was unaware Girard "was staying in the bedroom located above the garage of a residence located at 84 Clairmont, St. Croix," where Joseph, Jr. was the caretaker.
Agents later learned that Girard had been staying in a bedroom above the garage at the Clairmont residence for over a week prior and that Joseph, Jr. in fact knew Girard was staying there when he advised the agents to the contrary. Girard was ultimately arrested at the Clairmont residence on a federal warrant for a violation of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
Dominican Republic National Pleads Guilty to Charges Stemming from Haulover Bay, St. John ShootoutRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Rammer Guerrero Morales, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller in the District Court and entered a guilty plea to the charges of Possession and Discharge of Firearms During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence (18 U.S.C. § 924) and Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees (18 U.S.C. § 111). He faces up to life in federal prison. The sentencing date will be set by the Court.
According to Court documents, on September 25, 2019, members of Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") Air and Marine Operations ("AMO") conducted a maritime interdiction operation on the north coast of St. John, USVI, near Haulover Bay. This area is a known smuggling location where traffickers offload large shipments of narcotics and U.S. Currency. This location contains a trail that leads from the main road down to the beach of Haulover Bay.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") Air and Marine Interdiction Agents observed two individuals, who were armed on a trail that leads down to the beach at Haulover Bay. The Agents identified themselves as "police". Immediately thereafter, the individuals fired at the Agents. One CBP Air and Marine Interdiction Agent was wounded by the rounds fired by the individuals. Defendant Guerrero Morales was wounded by shots fired in self-defense by CBP Air and Marine Agents. CBP Air and Marine Agents recovered two firearms at the scene, described as an AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle and a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan Albino, and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that
St. Thomas Woman Pleads Guilty to Disorderly Conduct on United States Postal Service Property and is Sentenced to Two Years’ ProbationRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Thomas woman pleaded guilty today to engaging in disorderly conduct on United States Postal Service property and was sentenced to two years’ probation.
According to court documents, Chantelle Grant retrieved a package from the Ottley Post Office in St. Thomas on June 22, 2021. As she was leaving the post office, she bumped into another woman, and then left the building. A few minutes later, Chantelle Grant returned to the building, ran towards the woman she had bumped into minutes before, and punched the woman in the face. She then exited the building again and drove off in a car.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper prosecuted the case.
St. Croix Woman Sentenced to 18 Months Incarceration in Federal Prison for Her Involvement in a Multi-Defendant Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Thema Liverpool, age 33, from St. Croix, Virgin Islands was sentenced on December 2, 2021 in federal court by Judge Wilma A. Lewis to eighteen months incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release for her involvement in a multi-defendant tax fraud scheme. Liverpool also must pay restitution of $83,111.71 to the Internal Revenue Service, the amount of falsely claimed tax return proceeds deposited into her bank accounts as a result of the scheme. The defendant pled guilty on November 18, 2019 to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, from January 2011 to July 2012, Thema Liverpool and others participated in a scheme to steal money from the United States treasury by fraudulently obtaining federal income tax refunds. The scheme involved the acquisition of personal identifying information of individuals (i.e. name, social security number, and date of birth) used to electronically file falsified tax returns with a designation of refunds to the acquired bank accounts or debit cards. Defendant and her co-conspirators withdrew the deposited refunds, spent them using a debit card, or transferred them to other accounts, all for personal use.
Of ten defendants charged in the tax fraud scheme, Liverpool is one of nine to plead guilty. The tenth defendant, Jacinta Gussie, was found guilty in June of 2021 after a six-day trial of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, four counts of Theft of Government Money, and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. Jacinta Gussie was sentenced on November 12, 2021 to 3.75 years of prison and ordered to pay $44,561.11 in restitution.
The prosecution of this fraud scheme is the result of years of investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, which identified and dismantled a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme perpetrated in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz.
New York Resident Convicted by a St. Thomas Federal Jury for Smuggling Marijuana in a Carry-On Bag, Apprehended Upon Arrival at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced that Christopher Dunn, resident of New York, NY, was convicted today for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on February 11, 2021, Christopher Dunn arrived at the Cyril E. King airport on an inbound flight from JFK New York, on board Delta Airlines flight 635. While conducting an inbound inspection, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered a green leafy material in the contents of Dunn’s carry-on luggage. CBP officers then proceeded to escort Dunn to secondary inspection. Once in secondary inspection, officers conducted a thorough search of Dunn’s carry-on bags and discovered inside three vacuum sealed bags of marijuana. In total, Dunn had 1.37 kilograms of marijuana.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and CBP. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Natasha Baker and Juan Albino, and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Dunn will be sentenced at a later date.
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing with Intent to Distribute over 6 Kilos of Marijuana on Flight from Miami to St. CroixRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Yvette Simeina, 40, a resident of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute approximately 6 kilograms of marijuana.
According to court documents, on February 23, 2021, the defendant, Yvette Simeina flew into St. Croix on American Airlines flight #382 from Miami, Florida. Upon her arrival, the defendant’s luggage was selected for physical inspection after an anomaly was detected while the luggage was examined utilizing an x-ray machine. The physical hand search of the defendant’s luggage revealed three wooden boxes, inside of which were several clear vacuum-sealed bags with a green leafy substance, which later field-tested positive for marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance. The total weight of the marijuana seized from the defendant’s luggage was 6.63 kilograms.
Simeina faces up to 5 years imprisonment. A sentencing date of March 22, 2022 has been set by the Court.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Subcontractor Employee Working at Cyril E. King Airport Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Stashing 4 Kilograms of Cocaine in Men’s BathroomRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Keilin Lopez Lopez, 22, resident of St. Thomas, V.I., was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment followed by a four-year term of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute approximately 4 kilograms of cocaine.
According to court documents, on July 31, 2020 at approximately 6:30 p.m., a Virgin Islands Port Authority employee witnessed a male tampering with a trashcan in a stall in the male restroom located inside the Cyril E. King terminal. Officers removed the trashcan from the wall revealing an open recess in between both sides of the interior wall. One large brick-shaped bundle and one small brick-shaped bundle containing approximately 4 kilograms of cocaine were lying at the bottom of the recess where the trashcan was previously inserted.
Airport surveillance footage showed a male, later identified as Keilin Lopez Lopez, wearing a backpack enter the bathroom where the bundles were discovered. Officers located Mr. Lopez who is an employee for a company contracted to work on the airport remodel. After being advised of his constitutional rights, Mr. Lopez waived them and stated he removed the trashcan from the wall in the restroom stall and placed the bundles inside the wall.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Juan Albino prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Smuggling $3.75 Million Onboard a Vessel Interdicted Near Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, USVIRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Jerry Kirkland-Marrero, 31, from Puerto Rico, was sentenced today to 40 months imprisonment, followed by 30 months of supervised release, for conspiracy to conceal more than $100,000 on board a vessel outfitted for smuggling.
According to court documents, Kirkland-Marrero was one of three occupants on a vessel that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO) interdicted in the waters near Brewers Bay, St. Thomas, USVI, on the night of April 21, 2020. The vessel was stopped after agents noticed it entering the area without its lights illuminated. As CBO AMO initiated a stop of the vessel, agents observed the vessel’s occupants throwing duffle bags overboard. The agents recovered three duffle bags from the water, as well as a fourth bag that one of the occupants had been in the process of trying to throw overboard when the agents boarded the vessel. Each of the duffle bags contained vacuum sealed bundles of U.S. currency, with a combined total value of approximately $3,765,740 in U.S. currency. One of the bags was equipped with a GPS tracker.
Court documents further reveal that, while on release pending resolution of this case, Kirkland-Marrero’s two co-defendants were fatally gunned down in Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith J. Edwards prosecuted the case, which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Nevada Resident Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Serving as a Straw Purchaser of Firearms Confiscated at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI –United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Michael Kelly, 30, a resident of Las Vegas, NV, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment followed by a three-year term of supervised release for assisting in trafficking firearms in interstate commerce.
According to court documents, on April 16, 2016, Kelly purchased two firearms, a Romarm/Century Arms Draco caliber 7.62x39mm and a Glock Model 22 pistol 40 caliber S&W, from a firearms dealer in Las Vegas, NV. While purchasing the firearms, Kelly completed ATF Form 4473 for the purchase. On that form, the defendant stated that he was the actual buyer and was not purchasing the firearms for another person. After purchasing the firearms, Kelly provided the firearms to his co-defendant, Naeem Smith, who paid the defendant $1,200.00 for the purchase.
On April 25, 2016, Kelly purchased two additional firearms, a Glock Model 22 pistol 40 caliber S&W and a Glock Model 22 pistol 40 caliber S&W, from another firearms dealer in Las Vegas, NV and again filled out and signed the ATF Form 4473 for his purchase. In the form, Kelly stated that he was the actual buyer and was not purchasing the firearms for another person. After purchasing the firearms, Kelly provided the firearms to Naeem Smith, who paid the defendant another $1,800.00 for the purchase.
On April 28, 2016, Naeem Smith traveled to St. Thomas, V.I. from Las Vegas, NV. At the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, V.I., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers inspected Naeem Smith’s checked bag and discovered multiple firearms, including the firearms that defendant Michael Kelly, had purchased for Naeem Smith described previously.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Delia Smith and Juan Albino prosecuted the case.This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law
enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.St. Thomas Man Charged After Conspiring to Mail Packages of Fentanyl to St. ThomasRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a St. Thomas man was arrested September 14, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia and transported to St. Thomas, USVI on criminal charges related to allegedly conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, pursuant to an arrest warrant the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested Elijah Hakim, 34, after commencing a criminal investigation in April of 2021 into the trafficking of fentanyl from Georgia to St. Thomas using the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Court documents allege that Hakim conspired to mail packages containing a total of over 40 grams of fentanyl from Georgia to St. Thomas. On April 30, 2021 a package was seized by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which contained 150 pills weighing approximately 18 grams. The pills tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. The investigation revealed that the package was mailed by Hakim’s girlfriend. USPS records showed that the address to which the package was sent has previously been tracked by Hakim when delivering another package. On May 20, 2021, CBP officers in St. Thomas seized a package containing 200 pills weighing approximately 25 grams, which also tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Latent fingerprints recovered from the tape used to seal the package matched Hakim’s fingerprints.
An initial appearance was held on November 17, 2021 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller. On November 19, 2021, Judge Miller ordered Hakim detained pending resolution of the matter.
Hakim is charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance pursuant to 21 U.S.C §§ 841(b)(1)(B) and 846. If convicted, Hakim faces up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DEA, USPIS, and HSI are investigating the case, and The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Virgin Islands Woman Convicted by Jury in Tax Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 45 Months of Incarceration, Ordered to Pay Restitution to I.R.S.Read the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Jacinta Gussie, age 59 of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, was sentenced on November 12, 2021 by Federal District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 3.75 years in prison for her part in a complex tax fraud scheme. Gussie must also serve a period of three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $44, 561.11 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Gussie was found guilty by a federal jury on June 15, 2021 after a six-day trial of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States; four counts of Theft of Government Money; and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial, from January 2011 to July 2012, Jacinta Gussie and others participated in a scheme to steal money from the United States Treasury by fraudulently obtaining federal income tax refunds. The scheme involved the acquisition of personal identifying information of Virgin Islanders (i.e. name, social security number, and date of birth) used to electronically file falsified tax returns with a designation of refunds to the acquired bank accounts or debit cards. Defendant and her co-conspirators withdrew the deposited refunds. They subsequently spent the funds, using a debit card, or transferred the funds to other accounts, all for personal use. As a result of the scheme, approximately $44,561.11 of falsely-claimed returns were deposited into Gussie’s bank accounts. By means of the scheme, the defendants obtained over $400,000 in illegal tax refunds. The defendants also claimed additional refunds totaling in excess of $100,000 that were not paid.Of ten defendants charged in the tax fraud scheme, Gussie was the tenth defendant to be convicted. Nine others entered guilty pleas, six of whom have been sentenced. Remaining defendants Thema Liverpool, Nicolette Alexander and Lynell Hughes are pending sentencing.
The case is the culmination of years of investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, which conducted a probe into a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme perpetrated in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Rob a St. Thomas Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Jamari S. Benjamin, a resident of St. Thomas, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller in the District Court and entered a guilty plea to the charge of conspiracy to rob the Gems and Gold Corner jewelry store located in St. Thomas, V.I. He faces up to twenty years in federal prison. The sentencing date will be set by the Court.
According to Court documents, on Saturday, September 19, 2020, a white Suzuki Vitara arrived in the area of Gems & Gold Corner jewelry store located on the waterfront near Veteran’s Drive, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Benjamin was the driver of the white Suzuki Vitara. Two men wearing masks, exited the white Suzuki Vitara with firearms and entered the Gems & Gold Corner jewelry store. The two masked men brandished the firearms and threatened the jewelry store employees and others. One of the masked men physically assaulted a jewelry store employee using the firearm, striking the employee’s head. The two masked men broke the jewelry showcases and took jewelry from the store. They then retreated from the jewelry store, got back into the white Suzuki Vitara, and were driven away from the area by Benjamin.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan A. Albino.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhood is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Puerto Man Apprehended on a Vessel with $ 316,930 in U.S. Currency Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement to Federal Agents; Vessel and U.S. Currency are ForfeitedRead the Press Release
ST. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert of the District of the Virgin Islands announced that a Puerto Rico man pleaded guilty in federal court today to making a false statement to agent of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), an executive agency of the United States.
According to court documents, Blas Sebastian Panzardi Davila, age 38, was the sole individual operating a vessel traveling from Puerto Rico to St. Thomas. Onboard defendant’s vessel was a cooler containing $316,930 in United States currency. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Marine Interdiction (CBP-MI) officers questioned defendant regarding the contents of the cooler, and defendant responded that he did not know what the cooler contained. CBP-MI officers opened the cooler and discovered the currency, and defendant denied ownership.
HSI agents arrived and questioned defendant regarding ownership of the currency. Defendant then claimed the currency belonged to him. Asked how he earned the money, defendant stated that he earned it while giving tourists diving tours in Puerto Rico. Asked how much currency was in the cooler, defendant said that it was approximately $100,000. According to court documents, defendant made his false statements to agents of HSI, an agency of the Executive Branch of the government of the United States.
The $ 316, 930 in U.S. currency and the vessel operated by Davila were administratively forfeited by HSI.
Davila is scheduled to be sentenced on January 27, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
This case was investigated by Customs Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Everard E. Potter.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Man Traveling from Georgia to St. Croix Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Marijuana in LuggageRead the Press Release
ST. CROIX, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert of the District of the Virgin Islands announced that a Georgia man pleaded guilty in federal court today to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Ra’Kheel Velasquez, age 24, of Georgia traveled to St. Croix on a Delta flight originating from Atlanta, Georgia with checked luggage containing approximately 1.76 kilograms (approximately 4 pounds) of marijuana in four individually wrapped packages intended for distribution.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Incoming St. Croix Airline Passenger Arrested with over 12 Kilograms of Marijuana in Her LuggageRead the Press Release
ST. CROIX, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Augustine, Florida woman was arrested on November 6, 2021 in St. Croix on criminal charges relating to her travel to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands from Charlotte, North Carolina via airline on November 6, 2021. According to court documents, she possessed two checked bags that contained 13 individually vacuum-wrapped bags with approximately 12.5 kilograms of a green leafy substance which tested positive for marijuana.
Court documents allege that Cynthia Ines Fernandes, age 33, possessed with the intent to distribute the 13 individually wrapped vacuum sealed packages of marijuana, found wrapped in between clothing. An initial appearance was conducted on November 8, 2021 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon, Jr., who set a preliminary hearing date of November 18, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.If convicted, she faces a maximum of 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Customs Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Thomas Resident Sentenced for Possessing MarijuanaRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Tashawn T.A. Warner, 24, resident of St. Thomas, V.I., was sentenced to time served in prison for possession of marijuana. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of his vehicle.
According to court documents, on December 11, 2020, Tashawn T.A. Warner was arrested on St. Thomas pursuant to a federal arrest warrant. Immediately prior to his arrest, Warner was observed loading bags into the trunk of a 2020 Gray Toyota Corolla registered to Warner in Florida with Florida license plates. After Warner closed the trunk and got into the Corolla, a Black Infinity G37x, drove up the hill towards Warner at a high rate of speed and stopped next to Warner’s vehicle. Warner exited the Corolla, removed the bags from the trunk of the Corolla, and placed something into the trunk of the G37x. Warner then briefly opened and closed one of the passenger side doors of the G37x, which then drove off. As Warner got back into the Corolla, he was arrested. At the time of his arrest Warner had $5,520 in the pocket of his pants.Later, on December 11, 2020, federal agents obtained federal search warrants for both the Corolla and Infinity G37x. The Corolla contained the backpack that agents had previously seen Warner place into the vehicle, prior to his arrest. The backpack contained a glass jar containing two sandwich bags of approximately 90 grams of marijuana. The center console of the Corolla contained approximately $500 cash, a small scale, small baggies, and rolling papers.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Juan Albino.
Florida Man Apprehened at the Cyril E. King Airport Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison as a Career Offender on Marijuana Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Marvin Forbes, age 49, from Orlando, FL, was sentenced to 37 months of incarceration by Judge Robert A. Molloy on his conviction of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana after qualifying as a career offender in federal court.
According to court documents, on June 19, 2020, Forbes arrived at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas on Spirit Airlines flight #1610 which departed from Fort Lauderdale, FL. Upon arrival in St. Thomas, United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted an inspection of Spirit Airline’s checked bags. CBP K-9 “Sherpa” later alerted to the presence of narcotics in Forbes’ checked bag. After Forbes removed his bag from the baggage claim belt, CBP officers escorted him to secondary for inspection. In secondary, CBP officers cut a lock that was placed on Forbes’ suitcase after he failed to produce the key to open the lock. Inside Forbes’ suitcase, CBP officers discovered eight (8) vacuum sealed packages, each containing multiple smaller, individually vacuum sealed packages, of marijuana with a total weight of 12.61 kilograms. Forbes entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court on May 17, 2021.
At sentencing, Forbes qualified as a career offender pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines based on the facts that: (1) he was at least 18 years old at the time he committed the offense of conviction; (2) his conviction is a felony that is either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense; and (3) Forbes had at least two prior felony convictions of either a crime of violence or a controlled substance offense. As a career offender, Forbes’ guideline sentence was increased from 24 to 37 months of incarceration.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and CBP. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia Smith and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
St. Thomas Man Who Forged Checks in His Father’s Name Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for $303,000 Bank FraudRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands announced today that Lenroy Ravalier, Jr. was sentenced by the Honorable Robert A. Molloy to serve 21 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $169,000, representing his ill-gotten gains from his commission of bank fraud.
According to public documents filed in the case, Ravalier Jr. forged checks in his father’s name totaling $303,000, and then moved much of the money through various accounts under his control. One of the accounts was opened strictly for the purpose of passing the stolen funds through the account. A bank was able to intervene and recapture over $132,000 of the amount Ravalier Jr. stole but by then he had spent the remainder. Ravalier Jr. did not have authorization from the victim to take the funds described above or to write checks in the victim’s name.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan Brooks and Jill Koster.
St. Thomas Man Arrested at the Cyril E. King Airport with Nine Vacuum Sealed Packages of Marijuana Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced on today that Kharim Moore of St. Thomas was sentenced today to three years’ probation, fined $1,000, and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to court documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were conducting screenings of arriving passengers at the Cyril E. King Airport on November 4, 2020 when Moore disembarked a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta, GA. He was selected for inspection and his carryon backpack was searched.
Officers discovered nine vacuum sealed packages with a green leafy substance inside that weighed approximately 3.48 kilograms. The substance tested positive for marijuana.
The Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
St. Croix Woman Sentenced for Attempting to Smuggle Marijuana from Florida Through the Cyril E. King AirportRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Raquel Rivera, from St. Croix, was sentenced for the federal crime of possession with intent to distribute 6 kilograms of marijuana. Rivera was convicted at trial in May of 2021.
On Wednesday, November 3, 2021 Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy sentenced Rivera to 5 years probation.
Evidence presented at trial established that Rivera was stopped on April 22, 2020 at the Cyril E. King airport after arriving on St. Thomas from Miami, FL. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers searched her luggage, including one suitcase checked in using Rivera’s name and one checked in using the name of someone else. Inside her luggage, officers found 12 identical, vacuumsealed bags of marijuana concealed in various items of clothing, including jeans, towels, and a Hello Kitty blanket. In total, Rivera possessed nearly six kilograms of marijuana in both suitcases. When interviewed by officers that day, she gave conflicting accounts of what was in the suitcases and who packed them prior to her travel. A unanimous jury found Rivera guilty of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Baker and Nathan Brooks prosecuted the case.
St. Thomas Man Convicted at Trial of Felon in Possession of a Firearm Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – Leroy Henry, Jr., 30, of St. Thomas, was sentenced in District Court on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Chief District Court Judge Molloy sentenced Henry to 33 months of imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release.
An anonymous Crime Stoppers tip revealed that Leroy Henry, Jr., a convicted felon, possessed a hidden compartment in his blue Infiniti, where he maintained an unregistered firearm that he planned to use to exact revenge on his brother’s murderer. This information led to the FBI executing a search warrant on January 14, 2020. Federal agents searched Leroy Henry, Jr.’s car and located a fully loaded .23 Glock pistol, along with two magazines, in a hidden compartment underneath the vehicle’s center console cupholders.
During a subsequent interview, Leroy Henry Jr. acknowledged to the agents that he had previously obtained the firearm from a friend.
DNA samples collected from the gun were compared to a sample of Henry’s DNA. An FBI forensic examiner testified at the trial that a DNA analysis revealed that it was 78 septillion times more likely that Henry’s DNA was present on the Glock confiscated from his vehicle.
The Virgin Islands Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith J. Edwards and George Andrew Massucco-LaTaif prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Puerto Rico Woman Sentenced for Attempting to Smuggle Marijuana through the Henry E. Rohlsen AirportRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – Nathalie Lopez, 32, of Puerto Rico, was sentenced in District Court on one count of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute on Board an Aircraft, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Judge Wilma A. Lewis sentenced Lopez to two and a half years of federal probation with a required 100 hours of community service and imposed a fine of $2,000 and a special assessment of $100.
According to court documents, on February 17, 2017, Nathalie Lopez traveled on American Airlines flight #1293 from Miami, Florida, to St. Croix, via the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Lopez checked one box on this flight containing five separate vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana, weighing approximately 4.5 kilograms. Once Lopez arrived in St. Croix, her co-conspirator, Gibbs Bully, retrieved the box containing the marijuana from the baggage carousel, and was immediately detained by Customs and Border Protection officers.
Gibbs Bully previously pled guilty to the charge of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, and on March 14, 2019, was sentenced to a prison term of 18 months, to be followed by a four-year period of supervised release, and a fine of $4,000.
The Virgin Islands Port Authority, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. The DEA Southeast Crime Laboratory in Miami analyzed the marijuana. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney Announces a $400,000 Award from the U.S. Department of Justice in Support of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) in the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands has received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice in support of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The award from the DOJ’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) supports the vital work of the Virgin Islands Department of Justice (VIDOJ) efforts towards the implementation of SORNA initiatives. SORNA requires convicted sex offenders to register in the states in which they live, work, or attend school, and it directs the Attorney General to issue regulations and guidelines to implement SORNA.
“Sex offender registrations and notification systems are critical in our efforts to diminish the continued victimization of children subjected to sexual abuse,” Shappert said. “Consistent with the law, convicted sex offenders are expected to comply with registration requirements. This process helps law enforcement protect our communities.”
Congress enacted SORNA as part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 to strengthen the nation’s sex offender registration programs, which exist in every state, and to ensure that sex offenders are effectively tracked as they move among jurisdictions. SORNA includes requirements regarding the sex offenses for which registration is required and the information sex offenders must provide to registration authorities; reporting of changes in, and periodic verification of, residence and other information; and the required duration of registration for sex offenders in different classes. SORNA also requires sex offenders to report travel abroad, which addresses the global concern over international sex tourism and trafficking.
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is a federal agency that provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Its six program offices support state and local crime-fighting efforts, fund thousands of victim service programs, help communities manage sex offenders, address the needs of youth in the system and children in danger, and provide vital research and data. Learn more about the Sex Offender Notification Act at SORNA. For more information about DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs, see www.ojp.gov/about.
Captain of Vessel is Sentenced to Federal Prison for Smuggling $287,660 in U.S. Currency into St. Thomas Following High-Speed Chase and Apprehension Near Savana IslandRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Arioc Diaz Melendez, 28, from Puerto Rico, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for concealing $287,660 in U.S. currency while onboard a vessel outfitted for smuggling.
According to court documents, Arioc Diaz Melendez was the captain of a vessel that was traveling without navigation lights at approximately 2:00 A.M. on September 30, 2019 north of Savana Island, U.S. Virgin Islands. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Marine Units identified the vessel and pulled their vessel alongside the 24-foot yola-type vessel that was operating without lights. CBP agents activated their police blue lights and discharged a flare to convince the other vessel to yield.
When CBP agents attempted to initiate a stop, the other vessel did not yield but instead increased speed. The CBP agents shot one round into one of the engines of the other vessel at which point the vessel decreased speed and stopped. Agents observed Arioc Diaz Melendez speaking to the passenger of the vessel, identified as co-defendant Jose C. Diaz Melendez, at which point Jose C. Diaz Melendez threw a duffel bag overboard. The bag was recovered by CBP agents and later found to contain $287,660.00 in U.S. currency and a Glock firearm. After CBP agents disabled one of the boat’s motor, they boarded the vessel, and apprehended the captain, Arioc Diaz Melendez, and the passenger, Jose C. Diaz Melendez, of the vessel.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and (CBP) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juan Albino prosecuted the case.
Miami-Bound Colorado Man Arrested at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport and Charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute After 3 Kilos of Cocaine was Found in His LuggageRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a Colorado man was arrested on October 19, 2021 at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport and advised of his rights on criminal charges related to his alleged possession cocaine on October 20, 2021.
According to court documents, Customs and Border Patrol officers were conducting inspections of passengers on American Airlines flight #1293 departing from St. Croix to Miami, Florida when Kareme Holst presented himself. He was referred to secondary inspection where an x-ray of his luggage revealed a box that contained plastic bottles with a white powdery substance in clear plastic wrapping. Further inspection revealed a pair of trousers with a white powdery substance wrapped in plastic in a pocket. The substance was field tested and reacted positive to the characteristics of cocaine. The weight of the substance was approximately three kilograms.
Holst is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. If convicted, he faces a potential of 5 - 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Fleeing from Park Rangers After Shots Were Fired on Buck IslandRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a St. Croix man, Aneudis Acevedo, age 32, appeared before Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon, Jr. in District Court and pleaded guilty on October 18, 2021 to Resisting or Impeding an Officer of the United States.
According to court documents, in the late afternoon of January 10, 2021, shots were fired on the Buck Island Reef National Monument after a fight occurred on the beach. Immediately after the shots were fired, Acevedo fled the scene in his boat at a high rate of speed while carrying several passengers. He fled from a National Park Service boat and officer, disobeying multiple orders directing him to stop. At one point during the pursuit, the boats physically came into contact, but Acevedo continued to flee. Acevedo forced the National Park Service boat to abandon the pursuit after he went into shallow channels by a reef. The United States Coast Guard assisted and approximately two hours later took the defendant into custody on the south side of the island of St. Croix. However, at that point the boat passengers were no longer on the boat.
Acevedo is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2022 and faces up to one year in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The National Park Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge and Virgin Islands U.S. Attorney Announce a National Prescription Drug Take-Back EventRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting/Special Agent in Charge, John F. Kanig and U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event, scheduled for October 23rd, 2021 in St. Croix and St. Thomas. This initiative addresses a serious public safety and public health issue which impacts communities throughout the United States. Now in its eleventh year, the National Take Back Day events continue to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens. The DEA’s Take Back events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths while providing an effective way to dispose of prescription drugs without harm to the environment.
“Too often, unused prescription drugs end up in the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Shappert. “We are facing a national epidemic of drug abuse, some of which is fueled by outdated and unused prescription medications. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back is an excellent opportunity for us to eliminate prescription drugs that have outlived their usefulness.”
According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
Helping people to dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA is working to reduce the addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country due to opioid medications.
Persons wishing to dispose of unused prescription drugs on St. Croix can take those prescriptions to the Gallows Bay and Kingshill Post Offices between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 23rd, 2021.
For disposal of unused prescriptions on St. Thomas, persons may take them to the Sugar Estate Post Office, also on Saturday, October 23rd, 2021, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
For more information on National Take-Back Day, please contact 1-800-882-9539, 571-362-4700 or visit https://takebackday.dea.gov. You can also click on the Partnership Toolbox option where
you can find and download materials to promote the event. In addition to DEA’s National Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 23, prescription drugs can be disposed of any day throughout the year at any of the 11,000 authorized collectors. For more information on collection sites, visit:
https://apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e1s1Five Men Arrested in the Havensight Mall Area for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 25 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that charges have been filed against five men for conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. Matthew Hazel, Jose Solano, Andrew Wilson, Cesar Thomas, and Lodwin Aahton were arrested Thursday, October 14, 2021, and made their initial appearances in federal court today, October 15, 2021.
According to court documents, on October 13, 2021, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Confidential Source (CS) met with Jose Solano to discuss the purchase of twenty-five (25) kilograms of cocaine in St Thomas, USVI. During the meeting, Solano agreed to sell the CS twenty-five kilograms of cocaine for $312,000. Cesar Thomas was also present with Solano during the meeting. Solano agreed to conduct the transaction on the following day.
On October 14, 2021, at approximately, 4:01 PM, agents and the CS arrived at the Havensight Mall, St. Thomas, USVI, which was the agreed-upon location for the CS to meet up with Solano for the 25-kilogram exchange. At approximately 4:03 PM, agents observed Solano arrive in a black Toyota Tacoma. Solano parked in the area between the Smoking Rooster and the Post Office, next to where the CS was located. Solano then exited the Tacoma a short time later.
Subsequently, a black Honda Civic, arrived, driven by Cesar Thomas with Andrew Wilson in the front passenger seat. Thomas and Wilson parked in the vicinity of Solano’s vehicle; both exited the vehicle and congregated around both the Honda and the Tacoma for about 45 minutes to an hour. During that time, federal agents observed Wilson on his phone several times, while pacing through the parking lot. Agents also observed Wilson using hand gestures to direct a dark colored Jeep Wrangler and black G35 Infiniti to his location in the Havensight Mall parking lot. The two cars—the Jeep, followed by the Infiniti—arrived on scene at approximately 4:44 PM.
The Jeep, a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler, was driven by Lodwin Ashton. After Ashton parked the Jeep in the same vicinity as the CS, the Tacoma, and the Honda Civic, agents observed Thomas and Wilson approach the Jeep and talk with Ashton. Moments later, the black G35 Infiniti sedan, which bore no license plate, joined the group. The Infiniti was driven by Matthew Hazel, and Jenel Smith was in the backseat.
Agents observed Thomas and Wilson approach Hazel and converse with him. Moments later, agents observed Hazel exit the G35 Infiniti as the trunk of the vehicle sprung open. Agents then observed Thomas, Hazel, and the CS at the rear of the G35 looking into the trunk. Moments later, agents observed Hazel close the trunk as the CS gave a signal to the agents, confirming the presence of kilograms of suspected cocaine to be present within the G35 Infinity.
Agents arrested Solano, Thomas, Wilson, Ashton, Hazel, and Smith, who were later transported to the DEA St. Thomas Resident Office for processing. After the arrest, agents recovered approximately twenty-five (25) brick-like packages of suspected cocaine from the trunk of the G35 Infinity and one (1) loaded semi-automatic Walther Arms handgun; model PPX; bearing serial number FBB2800, which Hazel was sitting on in the driver’s seat. Agents also recovered a second loaded semi-automatic handgun from the Jeep Wrangler, which was located underneath the steering wheel.
This case is being investigated jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), Air Marine Operations (AMO), Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith Edwards and Juan Albino.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that a complaint is merely a formal charging document, and it is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican Republic Man Living on St. Thomas Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Timoteo Upia-Frias, 74, a native of the Dominican Republic, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller and pleaded guilty to one count charging him with illegally reentering the United States, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, Timoteo Upia-Frias was discovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents living in a neighborhood on St. Thomas while conducting an operation investigating undocumented immigrants in the United States Virgin Islands.
Criminal and immigration records confirmed that on September 6, 2016, Timoteo Upia-Frias was removed from the United States by ICE agents and returned to his native country, the Dominican Republic, following his felony conviction in the District Court of the United States in 2008 for possessing with intent to distribute heroin.
Upia-Frias pleaded guilty to illegal reentry pursuant to 8 U.S.C § 1326. He faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors at a sentencing hearing to be scheduled later.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of the Virgin Islands and investigated by HSI and ICE.
U.S. Attorney Announces a $10,233 Award from the U.S. Department of Justice to Support the Prosecutors and Public Defenders Incentive Program in the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that the U.S. Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission has received a $10,233 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice in support of the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Public Defenders Incentive Program.
The award from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) supports the U.S. Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission’s efforts to retain skilled public defenders and prosecutors in the Territory.
“These funds encourage the continued service of skilled public defenders and prosecutors within the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Shappert said.
The John R. Justice (JRJ) Grant Program (also referred to as the John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program or JRJSLRP) provides student loan repayment assistance for local, state, territorial and federal public defenders and local, state, and territorial prosecutors who commit to extended service in those roles. To administer this program, BJA provides each of the 50 states, the territories, and the District of Columbia the opportunity to apply for formula funding to support a tuition and loan repayment program for eligible beneficiaries working within the states, territory's, or District’s jurisdiction. These designated agencies shall establish and maintain a statewide JRJ Grant Program consistent with the Act and programmatic guidance provided by BJA. Once the state/territory has received the grant award, the state/territory administering agency is responsible for outreach, education, and solicitation of applications from eligible beneficiaries. The state/territory will ensure grant funds for loan repayment are allocated fairly between prosecutors and public defenders, with a priority placed on those eligible beneficiaries who have the least ability to repay their loans.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) offers funding through a variety of different programs. Learn about funding webinars, apply to become a peer reviewer, find information about previously available solicitation, and see award details here.
U.S. Attorney Announces a $823,616 Award from the U.S. Department of Justice to Address Crime Victim Services in the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney announced today that the U.S. Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission has received a $823,616 grant from the Department of Justice in support of crime victim assistance programs.
The award from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) supports the critical work of the U.S. Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission’s efforts to enhance services to victims of crime in the Territory.
“The Law Enforcement Planning Commission provides victims of crime assistance funds to non-profit victim services and government agencies in the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Shappert said. “These funds support direct services to assist crime victims in their recovery from victimization.”
The award is one of 26 totaling $597,916,462 made nationwide by OVC’s State and Territorial Victims of Crime Program. The full list of awards for this program can be found here.
Each year, OVC awards formula and discretionary grants to enhance the delivery of crime victim services throughout the Nation. Funds are for the purposes of assisting crime victims and to providing leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all crime victims. OVC’s funding supports victims of tribal communities, state and territory victim compensation and assistance programs, training and technical assistance and information resources, victims of international terrorism and mass violence, federal agencies’ provision of victim services, survivors of human trafficking, and demonstration of service projects.
Established in 1988 through an amendment to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) of 1984, OVC is charged by Congress with administering the Crime Victims Fund. Through OVC, the Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. Millions of dollars are invested annually in victim compensation and assistance in every U.S. state and territory, as well as for training, technical assistance, and other capacity-building programs designed to enhance service providers’ ability to support victims of crime in communities across the Nation. Learn more at www.ovc.ojp.gov
U.S. Attorney Announces a $270,782 U.S. Department of Justice Award to Address Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in the U.S. Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that the Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council has received a $270,782 grant from the Department of Justice in support of its domestic violence and sexual assault programs.
The award from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) supports the critical work of the U.S. Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition’s efforts to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
“The Virgin Islands Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council (VIDVSAC) provides invaluable support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault-related offenses here in the Territory,” Shappert said. “VIDVSAC also sponsors important training and outreach initiatives to educate everyone about the consequences of these serious crimes.”
The award is one of 87 totaling $15 million made nationwide by OVW’s State and Territorial Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions Program. The full list of awards for this program can be found here.
The program provides grants to each state and territorial domestic violence coalition and sexual assault coalition. Funds are for the purposes of coordinating victim services activities and collaborating and coordinating with federal, state, and local entities engaged in addressing violence against women. Statewide and territory-wide sexual assault coalitions provide direct support to member rape and crisis centers through funding, training and technical assistance, public awareness activities, and public policy advocacy. Statewide and territory-wide domestic violence coalitions also provide comparable support to member battered women’s shelters and other domestic violence service providers.
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw .
United States Coast Guard High-Seas Interdiction Ends with Seizure of 520 Kilograms of Cocaine, Arrests of Four Dominican Republic Nationals, and Apprehension of Two Go-Fast VesselsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that four Dominican Republic nationals were charged with possession of cocaine onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Carlos De La Rosa, 33, Alexis Sanchez Garcia, 32, Rafael Martinez, 29, and Elvis Manuel Rodriguez, 35, were charged by complaint and will appear in Federal Court on Monday, September 13, 2021, for their advice of rights hearing.
On August 30, 2021, United States Coast Guard Cutter (“CGC”) intercepted a white and blue, go-fast vessel with one outboard engine and two persons onboard at approximately 45NM south of Punta Salinas, DR. The go-fast vessel displayed no indicia of nationality and had packages and fuel barrels visible on deck. CGC TAMPA launched its over the horizon (“OTH”) vessel to intercept the go-fast vessel, but despite multiple warning shots, the go-fast vessel refused to stop. Coast Guard Officers then disabled the non-compliant go-fast vessel, which they reasonably suspected of drug smuggling in international waters. As the OTH approached the disabled go-fast vessel, both persons on board the vessel began jettisoning packages and bales into the ocean.
The OTH boarding team took control of the go-fast vessel and recovered 14 bales of suspected contraband from the ocean. The boarding team conducted two presumptive drug tests on the recovered contraband, which yielded positive results for cocaine. The bales of cocaine were loose kilos in a white burlap sack weighing approximately 520 kilograms at sea weight. The occupants, later identified as Carlos De La Rosa and Alexis Sanchez Garcia, both claimed Dominican Republic nationality, but refused to make a claim for the vessel or who was the master of the vessel. The vessel had no name, documentation, registration numbers, or homeport painted on its hull, and was therefore treated as a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Also, on August 30, 2021, CGC TAMPA intercepted a second white and blue, go-fast vessel with one outboard engine and two persons onboard, at approximately 45NM south of Punta Salinas, DR. The second go-fact vessel displayed no indicia of nationality and had packages and fuel barrels visible on deck. CGC TAMPA launched their OTH to intercept the go-fast vessel, and despite multiple warning shots, the go-fast vessel refused to stop. Once disabled, the two persons on board that go-fast vessel began jettisoning electronic equipment and bales of suspected contraband into the ocean. The occupants of the second go-fast vessel began dousing the vessel with fuel.
The CGC boarding team was unable to locate the jettisoned packages. The individuals on board were identified as Rafael Martinez, 29, and Elvis Manuel Rodriguez, 35. Both claimed DR nationality, and the master verbally claimed the Dominican Republic flag for the vessel. The government of the Dominican Republic could neither confirm nor deny registry of the go-fast vessel. The USCG therefore treated the vessel as one without nationality and enforced United States laws. The detainees verbally admitted to acting as a decoy vessel for the go-fast vessel that was interdicted simultaneously with their vessel.
This case is being investigated by the USCG and the Drug Enforcement Agency and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia Smith. The investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely a charging document and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Third Defendant, Extradited from the Dominican Republic, Arrested in Connection with Haulover Bay ShootoutRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Joan Morales Nolasco, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was arrested and appeared yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller in the District Court for his initial appearance hearing. Morales Nolasco was extradited from the Dominican Republic and is charged with Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees (18 U.S.C. § 111); Conspiracy to Traffic Controlled Substances and Attempt to Possess with Intent to Distribute Five Kilograms or More of Cocaine (21 U.S.C. § 846); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (18 U.S.C. § 924); and Possession and Discharge of Firearms During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence (18 U.S.C. § 924).
The charges stem from a shooting involving Joan Morales Nolasco, Rammer Guerrero-Morales, and Samuel Elias Pena Columna, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Interdiction Agents in St. John, USVI on September 25, 2019, which took place during an attempted narcotics deal planned by the aforementioned defendants. Guerrero Morales and Pena Columna were previously arrested and are currently awaiting trial. The defendants face up to life in federal prison.
According to Court documents, on September 25, 2019, members of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) conducted a maritime interdiction operation on the north coast of St. John, USVI, near Haulover Bay. This area is a known smuggling location where traffickers offload large shipments of narcotics and U.S. Currency. This location contains a trail that leads from the main road down to the beach of Haulover Bay.
At approximately 7:30 p.m. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Interdiction Agents observed two individuals, which were armed on a trail that leads down to the beach at Haulover Bay. The Agents identified themselves as “police”. Immediately thereafter, the individuals fired at the Agents. One CBP Air and Marine Interdiction Agent was wounded by the rounds fired by the individuals. Defendant Guerrero Morales was wounded by shots fired in self-
defense by CBP Air and Marine Agents. CBP Air and Marine Agents recovered two firearms at the scene, described as an AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle and a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine.This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan A. Albino.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Man Charged with Illegal Possession of a Firearm at the Frederiksted Post OfficeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Moises Figueroa, Jr., age 45, of St. Croix, was charged today with Possession of a Firearm on U.S. Postal Service Property and Illegal Possession of a Firearm.
According to court documents, on May 26, 2021, federal law enforcement agents conducted a controlled delivery of two parcels suspected of containing firearms. Figueroa was detained in the parking lot of the Frederiksted Post Office after picking up the parcels. The agents confiscated a loaded Taurus Millennium Pro semiautomatic pistol from Figueroa’s waistband.
If convicted, Figueroa faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
A complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Thomas High School Track and Field Coach Arrested for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
St. Thomas – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a St. Thomas man, Alfredo Bruce Smith, 50, was arrested today on a criminal complaint related to his alleged molestation of multiple minors and production of child pornography.
According to court documents, Smith works as a track and field coach and as a school monitor at Charlotte Amalie High School (CAHS). Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into Smith’s alleged activities after receiving reports that Smith inappropriately touched a minor during a school-sponsored track and field trip in March 2021, and that there were photographs of juvenile males who attended CAHS in the Defendant’s cellular phone. One witness reported that over six young males confided that they had been molested or raped by the Defendant.
A search of Smith’s social media account revealed dozens of photographs and sex videos of minor males and their genitals. A federal search warrant was executed on August 31, 2021, at the Defendant’s residence. According to court documents, a video depicting a sex act was located on a camcorder belonging to CAHS, which was located in the Defendant’s bedroom. The sex act appears to take place within the school.
Smith is charged with a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251, sexual exploitation of children. If convicted, Smith faces a penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Baker is prosecuting the case.
HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-800-981-3030, or by calling 787-729-6969.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Foreign National from Trinidad Previously Convicted of Federal Felonies Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Allan Browne, a citizen of Trinidad, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller in the District Court and entered a guilty plea to the charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. He faces up to twenty years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on April 8, 2021, Browne appeared at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) primary inspection checkpoint at the Cyril E. King Airport, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Browne was a ticketed passenger on an American Airlines Flight traveling to Miami, Florida.
During the inspection, Browne presented a Pennsylvania driver’s license bearing the name Antonio S. Brown and a date of birth, neither of which belonged to him. CBP officers asked Browne if he were a citizen of the United States or a legal permanent resident, to which he replied that he was a legal permanent resident. Browne claimed he possessed a legal permanent resident card, but that it was not with him. Based on record checks conducted using Browne’s fingerprints, officers ascertained that Browne had no legal basis to remain in the United States.
Court records show that Browne was previously convicted in the Eastern District of New York for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He was sentenced to 41 months imprisonment on June 28, 2013. Browne was removed from the United States following his custodial sentence. Officers also discovered that Browne was removed from the U.S. as recently as last year, after re-entering the United States illegally. Officers conducted record checks and verified that Browne was not a citizen of the United States and found no information showing Browne was granted any documentation to enter or remain in the U.S.
This case is being investigated by CBP and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan A. Albino.
Virgin Islands United States Attorney’s Office Secures Conviction in First Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Mashama Ferdinand, 38, of St. Thomas pleaded guilty to wire fraud affecting a financial institution before Magistrate Ruth Miller. Ferdinand was released after posting a $25,000 unsecured bond pending sentencing.
According to court documents, on July 30, 2020, Ferdinand filed a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application on behalf of her company, Shama’s Specialties. The application fraudulently alleged that she employed 15 employees and earned a quarterly payroll of $460,079.82. Evidence developed in this investigation revealed that Ferdinand’s business did not have the purported 15 employees, nor the quarterly payroll that she claimed in her loan application. According to the Virgin Islands Division of Corporations and Trademarks, Shama’s Specialties was established as a Virgin Islands domestic limited liability company on January 9, 2014, and Ferdinand is listed as the company’s registered agent.
The PPP is a source of relief provided through the CARES Act that authorized loans and loan forgiveness to businesses operating as sole proprietorships or independent contractors. For the period from February 15, 2020 through June 30, 2020, such businesses were eligible to receive PPP loans to cover lost income. In order to be eligible to receive PPP loans, businesses were required to report and document their income and expenses as typically reported to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1040, Schedule C, for a given tax year. These financial reports were used to determine the amount of money a business was entitled to receive under the PPP. Once awarded, PPP loan proceeds could only be used to cover specific expenses, including payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the loans to be entirely forgiven if the business used the loan proceeds to cover those expenses within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds.
According to court documents, on July 30, 2020, Ferdinand electronically submitted her PPP loan application package to Bluevine, Inc., and Bluevine’s IP records revealed that at approximately 3:26 p.m., they submitted Shama’s Specialties application package for approval. Bluevine’s IP records further revealed that the company is registered to unnamed alleged co-conspirators in Apopka, FL. Thereafter, on July 30, 2020, Ferdinand’s PPP loan application was approved in the amount of $383,397.00. On August 3, 2020, Bluevine deposited the PPP loan proceeds in the amount of $383,397.00 in Shama’s Specialties’ First Bank Virgin Islands’ checking account. On August 5, 2020, Ferdinand wired three separate payments in the amounts of $9,999.00, totaling $29,997.00, to her three alleged co-conspirators as payment for their roles in processing her PPP loan application. Records obtained from the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue confirmed that during 2019 and 2020, the period in which PPP loans were offered, no 501-VI nor 941-VI payroll records were filed on behalf of Shama’s Specialties.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Small Business Association Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia Smith.
“The Paycheck Protection Program is intended to provide a lifeline to the nation’s small businesses and its employees” said Small Business Administration’s Inspector General Michael H. Ware.” “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
More information on the SBA Paycheck Protection Program is available on their Website.
St. Thomas Man Pleads to Conspiring to Bring over 6 Kilograms of Marijuana Through the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. CroixRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that Jahvar Looby, age 31, of St. Thomas, appeared before Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon, Jr., in U.S. District Court and pleaded guilty today to Conspiracy to Possess Marihuana with Intent to Distribute.
According to court documents, on February 11, 2021, Looby and three other co-conspirators flew into the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix on American Airlines flight number 2003 from Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon their arrival, Customs and Border Protection officers selected several pieces of luggage for physical inspection. The CBP officers observed anomalies while the luggage was examined by an X-ray machine. A subsequent search revealed several clear, vacuum sealed bundles containing a green, leafy substance, which later field-tested positive for marijuana. In total, approximately 6.33 kilograms of suspected marijuana was seized from Looby and his co-conspirators.
Looby is scheduled to be sentenced on December 29, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
St. Croix Woman Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Her Role in a Multi-Defendant Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Joanne Benjamin, age 41, from St. Croix, Virgin Islands was sentenced on August 26, 2021 in federal court by Judge Wilma A. Lewis to twenty-four months incarceration followed by three years of supervised release for her part in a multi-defendant tax fraud scheme. She pled guilty on March 11, 2021 to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.
According to the plea agreement filed with the court, from January 2011 to July 2012, Joanne Benjamin and others participated in a scheme to steal money from the United States treasury by fraudulently obtaining federal income tax refunds. The scheme involved the acquisition of personal identifying information of individuals (i.e. name, social security number, and date of birth) used to electronically file falsified tax returns with a designation of refunds to the acquired bank accounts or debit cards. Defendant and her co-conspirators withdrew the deposited refunds, spent them using a debit card, or transferred them to other accounts, all for personal use.
As a result of the scheme, approximately $110,896 of falsely claimed returns was designated for deposit into Defendant’s bank account, of which approximately $80,424.83 was actually deposited therein. The Court also ordered Benjamin to pay restitution of $80,424.83 to the Internal Revenue Service, and her $1000 posted bail bond will be applied toward restitution and a $100 special assessment fee, upon motion of the United States.
Of ten defendants charged in the tax fraud scheme, Benjamin is one of nine to plead guilty. The tenth defendant, Jacinta Gussie, was found guilty in June of 2021 after a six-day trial of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, four counts of Theft of Government Money, and two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. Gussie’s sentencing date is pending.
The prosecution of this fraud scheme is the result of years of investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, which identified and dismantled a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme perpetrated in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz.
Woman Charged with Assaulting Customer and Creating a Disturbance at the St. Thomas Ottley Post OfficeRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a St. Thomas woman was arrested on federal criminal charges related to assaulting a customer while in the Ottley Post Office on June 22, 2021.
According to court documents, Chantelle Grant, picked up a parcel at the post office and on her way out of the building, bumped into another female customer. The CCTV video surveillance showed that after Grant left the building, she returned less than two minutes later, ran across the post office lobby, and struck the female victim in the face. Grant was then seen leaving the building, entering her car, and driving away.
Grant is charged with creating a disturbance on postal property in violation of 39 C.F.R. § 232.1(e), 18 U.S.C. §3061, and 39 U.S.C. §401 which carries a maximum penalty of 30 days imprisonment, up to a $5,000.00 fine, or both. Grant was released on her own recognizance.
The United States Postal Investigative Service investigated the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Coast Guard High-Seas Interdiction Off the Coast of Colombia Results in the Seizure of 973 Kilograms of Cocaine and Arrests of Three South American Nationals Brought to the US Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
ST. THOMAS, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that three (3) South American nationals charged by Complaint on August 19, 2021, with possession of cocaine onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States were ordered detained by United States Magistrate Ruth Miller pending trial in this matter.
According to court documents, on July 12, 2021, while on patrol, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Mohawk intercepted a low-profile vessel located 125 nautical miles south, southwest of Isla De Molpelo, Colombia. The vessel was in international waters and displayed no signs of nationality. It also exhibited suspicious factors including the low-profile construction, no navigation lights, and operation in a known drug vector. The USCG later determined that the vessel was without nationality, thus subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Upon inspection of the low-profile vessel, three occupants were identified as Ignasio Espana, 30, and Jairo Riascos Preciado, 52, both of Columbia, and Nestor Vera Escalante, 41, of Ecuador. The USCG boarding team removed a bale in plain view inside the hull of the vessel. Two presumptive NIK tests were conducted on the recovered bale and yielded a positive reaction for cocaine. Thereafter, a search of the entire low-profile vessel resulted in the seizure of approximately 793 kilograms of suspected cocaine.
This case is being investigated by the USCG and the Drug Enforcement Agency, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Delia Smith. The investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely a charging document and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
St. Croix Man Occupying a Marijuana Grow Operation Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Carrying of a Firearm during a Drug Trafficking Offense and Illegal Use of WAPA UtilityRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Troy Lance Patterson age 52, of St. Croix was sentenced on July 27, 2021 in federal court by Judge Wilma Lewis to a term of sixty months of incarceration for Carrying of a Firearm during a Drug Trafficking Offense followed by four months of incarceration on the Illegal Use of Utility charge, to be served consecutively. Patterson had pled guilty to the charges on October 20, 2020.
According to court documents, aerial surveillance of Patterson’s Anna’s Hope, Christiansted residence revealed that the residence was a potential marijuana cultivation site. On September 18, 2019, federal agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence and located Patterson in possession of an unlicensed, loaded, and operable .38 special revolver, which the agents confiscated. During the subsequent search of Patterson’s residence, agents located over 80 rounds of ammunition, multiple scales, plastic baggies, approximately 168 gross grams of cocaine hydrochloride, approximately 117 grams of marijuana, and $12,473.00 in U.S. currency.
Federal agents also located a multi-room indoor marijuana grow operation containing marijuana plants for which electricity was supplied by way of an unauthorized Water and Power Authority (WAPA) utility connection, violations of federal and Virgin Islands law.
Patterson was also sentenced to a term of four years supervised release, was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3969 to the V.I. Water and Power Authority, was fined $1000, and was ordered to pay a special assessment fee of $100. The confiscated $12,473.00 in U.S. currency, firearm and ammunition were forfeited.
The case was being investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.
Puerto Ricans Arrested after Tossing over One Hundred Thousand Dollars of Unreported Cash into the OceanRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that two men from Vieques, Puerto Rico were arrested on July 26, 2021 in St. Thomas on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in concealing or attempting to conceal more than $100,000 in currency aboard a vessel outfitted for smuggling.
According to court documents, Julius Alvarez-Gonzalez (31) and Jimmy Garcia-Quinonez (22) were stopped on the evening of July 26, 2021 by Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine agents, west of St. Thomas. The two were operating a vessel at night, without navigational lights and headed towards Barents Bay. As agents approached, they observed a large duffel bag being thrown overboard. The bag was later recovered and contained more than $100,000.
Both Alvarez-Gonzalez and Garcia-Quinonez are charged with a violation of Title 46 United States Code, Section 70503(a)(3), which makes it a crime to possess more than $100,000 U.S. currency onboard a vessel outfitted for smuggling. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.
Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha Baker is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.St. Thomas Man arrested at Cyril E. King Airport for Smuggling Marijuana into the Virgin IslandsRead the Press Release
St. Thomas-USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that a St. Thomas man was arrested on Friday July 23, 2021 at the Cyril E. King Airport on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Allany Peterson-Mendez, 25, of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands flew onto St. Thomas on a commercial airline with a green leafy substance contained in his checked luggage. Peterson-Mendez was escorted by Customs and Border Protection officers to a secure location for a baggage check, during which officers located two kilograms of marijuana
Petersen-Mendez is charged with Possession of Marijuana with intent to distribute. The defendant made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday July 26, 2021 before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Woman Sentenced to Ten Months Federal Prison for Tax Fraud Scheme Involving the Filing of Falsified Tax Returns after Jury Finds her GuiltyRead the Press Release
St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Patricia Henry, age 52, was sentenced to ten months incarceration on July 23, 2021 in District Court by Judge Wilma Lewis on one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States for her part in a tax fraud scheme. The sentencing follows a five-day jury trial on St. Croix that ended November 17, 2020. Evidence presented at the trial indicated that, as part of a tax fraud scheme, $8,918 was deposited into Patricia Henry’s account, stemming from a false tax return, and $10,068 generated from another false return, also filed in the defendant’s name. The money was transferred to Patricia Henry by her daughter, codefendant, Phiona Henry, after the money was initially deposited into one of Phiona Henry’s bank accounts. An additional $106,382 was also deposited into Phiona’s bank account as part of the fraudulent scheme. Phiona Henry was sentenced to 8 months of federal incarceration on February 26, 2021 after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.
According to court documents, Phiona Henry, her mother Patricia Henry, and others participated in a scheme to unlawfully obtain money from the United States treasury by fraudulently acquiring federal income tax refunds during the period from 2010 to 2013. The scheme involved the acquisition of personal identifying information used to electronically file falsified tax returns for tax years 2009 through 2012. Patricia Henry aided others in the filing of tax returns in individuals’ true names and actual social security numbers but falsified the individuals’ income earned, tax withholding amounts, credits, and other information, and thereby claimed refunds to which they were not entitled. Persons involved in the scheme designated bank accounts for receipt of the refunds, which, once received, they subsequently withdrew.
In addition to the term of her incarceration, the Patricia Henry was sentenced to a term of 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, along with restitution to the Internal Revenue Service of $18,986.
The prosecution of this fraud scheme is the result of years of investigative work by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, which identified and dismantled a massive stolen identity refund fraud scheme perpetrated in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz.
Texas Resident Sentenced to Probation for Marijuana in Carry-On Bag Upon His Arrival at Cyril E. King Airport on St. ThomasRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, USVI –United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Lequan Jaheem Pemberton, 26, a resident of Austin, TX, was sentenced to two years’ probation for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
According to court documents, on December 21, 2020 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers were conducting baggage exams on an American Airlines flight arriving from Miami, FL and passenger Lequan Jaheem Pemberton was selected for a secondary bag examination. During a preliminary bag exam of Pemberton’s carry-on luggage, the inspection revealed several plastic wrapped bundles. After CBP Officers discovered the bundles, Pemberton was referred to the secondary CBP inspection area. Further inspection of the bundles revealed that Pemberton’s carry-on bag contained a green leafy substance that tested positive for marijuana. The marijuana weighed approximately 4.01 kilograms. Lequan Jaheem Pemberton was read his Miranda Rights and waived his rights. During questioning by HSI, Pemberton stated that the marijuana belonged to him, and he claimed that he intended to smoke it.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Juan Albino.