CHRISTIANSTED — Two St. Croix men accused in the gunpoint robbery killing of a federal hurricane recovery worker could face the death penalty if convicted, the prosecutor said.
Enock Justin Cole, 25, and Jiovoni Smith, 24, both of St. Croix, were indicted of the 2018 robbery and homicide that occurred at the Castaways Bar and Restaurant in St. Croix, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said.
According to court documents, Cole and Smith are charged with Hobbs Act Robbery,
Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
Resulting in Death, Use of a Minor in a Crime of Violence, and First-Degree Murder.
VIPD mug shot of Enock Justin Cole, 25, of St. Croix.
Their Initial Appearance is set for February 1, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III.
If convicted, Cole and Smith face a maximum penalty of death or up to life imprisonment, according to U.S. Attorney Smith.
A federal District Court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Enock Cole was sentenced in February 2022 to serve 30 years in prison for his role in the 2015 beating death of the Reverend Augustus Bannis, 73, on St. Croix.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Daniel Huston.
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.
Smith said that an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.