CHARLOTTE AMALIE — VIPD detectives, Virgin Islands Department of Justice agents, alongside an FBI Digital Forensic Team were at the Office of Management and Budget in furtherance of a VIPD-VIDOJ led investigation into a possible digital breach.
The VIPD-VIDOJ presence at OMB was at the request of OMB Director Jenifer O’Neal with the intention of protecting the Governments financial information, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.
The overarching investigation was launched in May when several unauthorized covert monitoring devices were found in government offices, according to the VIPD.
“VIPD is confident that all covert monitoring devices have been located, removed, or destroyed, however we continue to scan networks and systems to protect against digital and covert monitoring incursions,” Police Commissioner Ray A. Martinez said. “The individuals who placed these devices for nefarious reasons underestimated local law enforcement’s ability to discover them. We will not idly stand by and allow these individuals to trample our civil rights and intentionally interfere with the effective and orderly operation of our government. They underestimated our dedication and access to advanced digital forensic capabilities. Make no mistake we have only just scratched the surface of this investigation. We will continue to keep the public informed as we progress with this investigation. The investigation is ongoing and federal law enforcement has been engaged to support the full investigation of these actions.”