CHARLOTTE AMALIE — FirstBank V.I. is warning its customers in the U.S. and British Virgin islands: “If it seems suspicious, don’t trust it!” “If you’ve received an email with the subject line regarding any type of transaction in your account, do not open it,” FirstBank V.I. said on Facebook. “Delete the email and block the sender’s […]
Tag: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
St. Croix’s Dequan Forde Admits To Smuggling 20 Pounds of Marijuana From MIA To STX
CHRISTIANSTED — A St. Croix man admitted in federal court on Thursday that he smuggled nearly 20 pounds of marijuana from Miami to Frederiksted last year. Dequan Forde, 21, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one federal count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said. The offense […]
WAPA Admits Employee Was Duped By Simplistic Phishing Email Costing It $2.17 Million
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority admitted that one of its employees was fooled by an Internet phishing scheme that cost the quasi-government authority more than $2 million. On two occasions in 2018, WAPA said it was the victim of “a Business Email Compromise (BEC), an instance where a fictitious email […]
SENATOR GITTENS: WAPA Failed To Notify VIFS About ‘Major Diesel Fuel Oil Spill’
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Senator Kenneth Gittens took Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority officials to task Wednesday for failing to notify the appropriate local authorities and nearby residents of a major diesel fuel oil spill at the Randolph Harley Power Plant at Krum Bay on St. Thomas. The St. Croix Senator also expressed concerns about […]
Three Puerto Rico Senate Officials Charged In Corruption Scheme
SAN JUAN — Three officials with Puerto Rico’s Senate were arrested by FBI agents Thursday and later charged by the U.S. commonwealth’s federal prosecutor with alleged corruption for a case involving a scheme to defraud the legislature using “ghost employees.” Federal prosecutor Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said 18 charges were brought against Angel Figueroa Cruz, director […]
Puerto Rico Man Charged With Contract Fraud Related To Courthouse, Coast Guard
CHARLOTTE AMALIE – Reinaldo Cruz Taura, president of Puerto Rico-based RCT Mechanical Engineering, was charged with providing kickbacks for federal government work in St. Croix and Puerto Rico, authorities said. The charges against Taura are in connection with federal government subcontracts to perform work on the federal building and courthouse in Estate Golden Rock, St. […]
Former FEMA Employee Charged with Stealing Government Property
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert for the District of the Virgin Islands said today that Duane Woods, Jr. has been indicted for receiving stolen government property and grand larceny. According to the indictment, Woods, who worked for FEMA at the time, converted FEMA property to his own use, including a generator, phones, […]
Barber Who Ordered 21 iPhones On Another’s Cell Phone Charged With Importing Stolen Goods
CHARLOTTE AMALIE – The U.S. Attorney’s Office in St. Thomas said today that Raphi Joseph has been arrested on a complaint charging him with transportation of stolen goods, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said. According to court documents unsealed today, the United States Postal Inspection Service was previously alerted that an unknown person had logged […]
‘Drug Kingpin’ Who Sold Out People Under Him Receives Reduced Sentence From Feds
CHRISTIANSTED — A “drug kingpin” who played ball with the feds in order to entrap the underlings in his crack cocaine operation received a reduced sentence in federal court on Monday. Robert Klyvert, 47, of St. Croix, was sentenced to five years in prison for distribution of crack cocaine, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert […]
St. Croix Crack Cocaine Dealers Get Slap On Wrist From Visiting Federal Judge
CHRISTIANSTED – Two St. Croix men were handed relatively light sentences of two years and one year in prison by a visiting federal judge after being convicted of charges related to dealing crack cocaine here. Nolly King, 36 of St. Croix, was sentenced Thursday for distribution of crack cocaine, and Thaddeus Hendricks, 39, was sentenced […]