News

Former US Virgin Islands Senator Pleads Guilty to Racketeering

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - January 17, 2013 - 4:01 pm

Above: the legislature building in Charlotte Amalie

By Alexander Britell

Former United States Virgin Islands Senator Alvin Williams, Jr has pleaded guilty to operating and participating in a criminal enterprise including bribery and mail fraud, US Attorney Ronald Sharpe and federal officials announced Thursday.

Williams, 34, and two other defendants were charged by grand jury indictment on Nov. 8, 2012.

The plea agreement followed an “extensive investigation” conducted by the Federal Public Corruption Task Force, which comprises the FBI, the US Marshall Service, the IRS-CI, US Department of Education Inspector General, the DEA, the Virgin Islands Office of the Inspector General and the VIPD.

In entering his plea of guilty to Count One of the indictment for racketeering, Williams admitted to bribing a Virgin Islands public official and soliciting and receiving bribes from numerous St Thomas construction projects developers, along with fraudulently soliciting and increasing staff member salaries and using the increase of funds for his personal use.

The proceeds of Williams’ alleged activities total more than $1.12 million, according to the original indictment.

The admission also included using Virgin Islands Legislative Staff Members to do his University of Phoenix online coursework for him during legislative work hours.

Williams faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and $250,000 in fines, along with potential future penalties and restitution.

No sentencing date has been set.

 

Popular Posts all-inclusive sandals barbados

This All-Inclusive Resort Has Swim-Up Suites, White Sand, and the Longest Pool in Barbados

The moment you step out of your transfer, you feel it. The salt-tinged Caribbean air carries the soft fragrance of frangipani and the faint hum of waves rolling ashore. The sand glows white in the late afternoon sun, leading to […]

Historic Puerto Rico Hotel Returning as a Marriott in $35 Million Revival 

 puerto rico ponce marriott

Puerto Rico has launched a $35 million project to restore and reopen the historic Hotel Ponce Intercontinental, which will return under Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio brand as The Continental Hotel. The project will revitalize the original structure, preserving its tropical modernist […]

The All-Inclusive Dreams Playa Esmeralda Resort Just Opened in the Dominican Republic 

 all-inclusive dreams esmeralda

Dreams Playa Esmeralda, the family-friendly sister resort to the already-launched Secrets Playa Esmeralda, is now open in the Dominican Republic’s burgeoning hotspot of Miches.  Like the Secrets, it’s home to 500 rooms, with a beachfront setting on one of the […]

Related Posts st thomas hilton new

St Thomas Is Getting Its First New-Build Hotel in Decades, and Now It Has an Opening Date 

The beaches. The bar-hopping. The shopping. The yachting. St Thomas is one of the hottest places to visit in the Caribbean right now — and now the island is about to get its first new-build hotel in three decades.  The new […]

The Caribbean’s Coolest Boardwalk Is In St Croix, With Burgers, a Tiki Bar and a Beach Taxi

 boardwalk at twilight

There’s something magnetic about the Christiansted Boardwalk on St. Croix. It’s not just a place—it’s a vibe, a rhythm, a living postcard of Caribbean life. Stretching along the harbor, this wooden promenade is where history, culture, and island energy converge, […]

Sun Country Airlines Is Adding More Flights to This Beach-Filled Caribbean Island

 st thomas beach

The sands of Magens Bay. The streets of Charlotte Amalie. The sounds of Red Hook. We love so much about the island of St Thomas, an island that just keeps getting better (and is filled with some of the best […]