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O’Neal Gets 7 Years in Latest Public Corruption Sentencing

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O’Neal Gets 7 Years in Latest Public Corruption Sentencing
V.I. Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal arrives at the federal courthouse ahead of her sentencing hearing Thursday morning on St. Thomas. The hearing was briefly paused amid apparent friction between O’Neal and her attorney, Dale Lionel Smith. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)

A federal judge sentenced former V.I. Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal to seven years in prison Thursday, closing a chapter in the corruption and bribery scandal that first came to light two years ago and that has seen three high-ranking government officials and others convicted and incarcerated.

O’Neal’s sentencing came two days after her codefendant, former V.I. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for what U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney described Thursday as being the “quarterback” of a kickback scheme involving federal COVID-19 relief funds and David Whitaker, a former cybersecurity contractor with a long history of fraud. Whitaker, who cooperated with the government during their investigation and prosecution of Martinez and O’Neal — and during a separate case against former V.I. Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White and businessman Benjamin Hendricks — was sentenced to 22 months in prison Wednesday.

Before handing down O’Neal’s sentence, Kearney said that it had been Martinez’s job to protect Virgin Islanders against crime in the streets but that it was O’Neal’s job to protect against financial crimes within the territory’s government. Instead, she participated in a scheme that began in earnest in 2022 when Whitaker began bribing Martinez in order to get paid for work performed by his company, Mon Ethos Pro Support.

“Somebody has to be a cop,” Kearney said. “Somebody has to say ‘no.’ Somebody has to say, ‘I can’t trust you.’”

Kearney continued that anyone who left the room Thursday with the impression that O’Neal was unaware of the arrangement between Martinez and Whitaker hadn’t paid attention to the evidence shown to jurors at trial. In one conversation recorded by Whitaker after he began cooperating with investigators, Kearney noted that O’Neal expressed trepidation about a $17,730 security deposit used as a down payment for her Havensight coffee shop, Java Grande, because she doesn’t “like traces of anything.”

“‘Wire’ means it’s traced,” she said.

Kearney referenced another conversation during which Whitaker told O’Neal: “I know for a fact that if I didn’t know you and Ray, I’d never get paid.”

“At all,” O’Neal agreed. “At all. Consider yourself blessed.”

 That, Kearney said Thursday, is how corruption works.

“It’s a wink and a nod,” he said.

Earlier Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro referenced another piece of evidence shown at trial that demonstrated O’Neal’s awareness. Mon Ethos secured a nearly $1.5 million VIPD surveillance camera contract in October 2023 that was funded under the federal American Rescue Plan Act, which was meant to help struggling communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conspirators devised to skim from fraudulently inflated Mon Ethos invoices. In January 2024, Whitaker texted O’Neal to ask whether she had approved a $216,000 payment.

Whitaker said that Martinez may never speak to them again “if he doesn’t get the $70k” for his restaurant, Don Felito’s Cookshop. The call in which Martinez arrived at that figure was also recorded.

O’Neal’s response, Amaro said, spoke volumes.

“Lol,” she said, using a common abbreviation for a phrase typically used to convey amusement. “I’ll check with my staff.”

In short order, O’Neal directed OMB’s federal grants manager, Jamie Gaston, to rubber-stamp any pending ARPA-funded invoices.

“She was needed to help move the money and she did exactly that,” Amaro said of O’Neal.

Amaro also introduced evidence not seen at trial. In August 2023, Whitaker texted O’Neal pictures of luxury items including Christian Louboutin shoes and a Louis Vuitton handbag. O’Neal sent one of the pictures back to Whitaker with a red circle around a pair of shoes and said she was a size 40.

“Or just the bag is fine,” she said before telling him to send it to her home in Maryland. She later confirmed receipt.

“The defendant was not motivated by need,” Amaro said. “She was motivated by greed.”

Kearney’s sentence of incarceration was equal to the government’s recommendation, which was outlined in a memorandum filed in U.S. District Court last week. O’Neal’s own sentencing request did not appear on the docket until midday Thursday — a week late and after her sentencing hearing had already started. The untimely filing came after O’Neal’s attorney, Dale Lionel Smith, emailed the memo and letters from O’Neal’s supporters directly to the court Monday. Smith asked that the materials be filed under seal because they contained personal and identifying information and the “letter writers were assured that their letters would be read only by the court and parties and not placed on the public docket.”

Kearney denied the request Wednesday and ordered Smith to file the memo and letters immediately. That he still hadn’t done so by the start of Thursday’s hearing apparently caused friction between O’Neal and Smith, which played out in open court. Kearney eventually asked O’Neal if she was satisfied with her representation.

“I have issues, your honor, to be quite honest,” she said, citing previous conversations she said she’d had with Smith about the importance of meeting court deadlines. “How do I proceed right now? I don’t know.”

Smith told the court that disagreements between lawyers and their clients happen.

“That’s all this is,” he said. “It will be resolved, and she will be sentenced.”

Kearney adjourned the hearing for three hours to allow the attorney and client to get on the same page and comply with his filing order. The memo, which did eventually appear on the public docket Thursday, outlined a sentencing request of two years of probation — or one year of home confinement — and was accompanied by 29 letters from supporters who asked Kearney for leniency on O’Neal’s behalf.

Those supporters included V.I. Public Works Commissioner Derek Gabriel, who wrote that he had never observed conduct that caused him to question O’Neal’s integrity during the 15 years he’s known her. Former Human Services Commissioner Dr. Anita Roberts, who once oversaw federal grants at OMB, called O’Neal “one of the few individuals who stood firm in compliance practices.” Former Water and Power Authority head and West Indian Company board chair Hugo Hodge Jr. wrote that he found the criminal conduct associated with O’Neal “extremely out of character and not anything close to the character of the professional that I know her to be.” Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol called the charges against O’Neal “inconsistent with the person that she truly is.”

Thursday’s hearing did not include oral statements from O’Neal’s supporters and neither did she address the court.

In the sentencing memo, Smith laid groundwork for an appeal and claimed that O’Neal is “actually innocent of the crimes charged in the indictment” because the government’s investigation never established a “quid pro quo,” which is “an essential element of bribery.” Smith attempted to instead frame the money O’Neal received as a gift when addressing the court Thursday afternoon. Her long-running friendship with Martinez, Smith said, made O’Neal “unaware of how corrupt he is.”

Kearney was not swayed. Moments later, he characterized O’Neal as the one person who could get Whitaker’s company — and Martinez — paid, “and she was bought off for a lease payment and a pair of shoes,” along with whatever else Whitaker gifted her. A visiting judge from the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Kearney said that he’s enjoyed meeting the people and learning about the culture of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“And yet, we face corruption case after corruption case,” he said, adding that people have told him that that’s how business is done in the territory. “Well, in the United States, that’s not how we do business.”

O’Neal was given until June 23 to self-report to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. After prison, she faces three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine, $34,345 in restitution and to forfeit $17,730 along with all “property constituting, or derived from” proceeds traceable to her wire fraud charge.

Senate Committee Reviews Territory’s Mental and Behavioral Health System

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Senate Committee Reviews Territory’s Mental and Behavioral Health System
Sen. Ray Fonseca, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services, presides over a hearing on the territory’s mental and behavioral health system. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)

The Senate Health, Hospitals and Human Services Committee on Thursday reviewed the territory’s mental and behavioral health system, hearing testimony on staffing shortages, facility delays and gaps in services.

Assistant Health Commissioner Nicole Craigwell-Syms warned that mental illness is a “significant and growing public health concern” in the territory, citing rising rates of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and serious mental health conditions. She said the challenges are driven by economic stress, trauma, social isolation and limited access to care, while chronic workforce shortages, geographic barriers and resource constraints make it difficult to meet demand.

“If we are serious about improving behavioral health outcomes in the Virgin Islands, we must equally be serious about building the system required to support them,” Craigwell-Syms told lawmakers. “Effective behavioral health care cannot exist without the necessary infrastructure, sustainable funding, adequate workforce, and coordinated services.”

Residents who require hospital-level psychiatric care are often treated at off-island facilities, and many have limited continuity of care once they return home. Craigwell-Syms said the territory lacks a permanent supportive housing system for people with serious mental illness who are discharged from inpatient or residential treatment programs. As a result, some residents face housing instability, repeated psychiatric crises, frequent emergency room visits and increased interactions with law enforcement.

While the Health Department has expanded outpatient services, case management, school-based programs, telehealth and mobile outreach efforts, officials said those programs continue to operate within a system that lacks key long-term treatment and housing resources.

Lawmakers spent considerable time questioning the status of two facilities viewed as central to the territory’s plans for expanded behavioral health and long-term care services: the proposed behavioral health campus at Estate Anna’s Hope on St. Croix and the Eldra Schulterbrandt Residential Facility on St. Thomas.

Craigwell-Syms testified that planning work for Anna’s Hope envisions a comprehensive behavioral health campus with crisis stabilization services, a secure forensic unit and supportive housing. However, engineering assessments found that existing structures on the site could not be renovated to modern standards, and the full project carries an estimated cost of about $240 million.

Officials said that the price tag has forced the department to treat the master plan as a long-term goal and instead pursue a phased approach focused on smaller, more affordable projects, including a concept for modular or tiny-home units to provide supportive housing while officials seek funding for larger facilities

“Our goal is to build what we can and keep building as we receive funding,” Craigwell-Syms said, explaining that tiny-home style units would serve as transitional housing while the department looks for funding for larger facilities.

Senators also questioned the status of the Eldra Schulterbrandt Residential Facility on St. Thomas, where officials said a shortage of nurses and ongoing renovations have limited occupancy in the existing 32-bed facility to about 20 residents. A newer building damaged during the 2017 hurricanes remains tied up in a dispute with FEMA over whether it should be repaired or rebuilt, limiting the territory’s ability to expand capacity for long-term care residents.

Several senators questioned the status of settlement funds previously allocated by law for behavioral health initiatives, including money tied to the Jeffrey Epstein-related settlement. Sen. Novelle E Francis said he had sponsored or cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation related to behavioral health funding and expressed concern that the funds had not yet reached the Department of Health.

Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger said health officials should not have to “beg” for funding that has already been approved by the Legislature and warned that delays in releasing the money undermine public trust and limit access to care. Citing concerns that settlement dollars tied to the Epstein case have been used for purposes beyond what lawmakers intended, she argued that the Legislature shares responsibility if it does not intervene. “If we, as a legislature, ain’t going to stand up and stop the craziness, we are partially at fault,” Heyliger said

The testimony described a behavioral health system in which outpatient and community services are expanding, but significant gaps remain in infrastructure, inpatient care and supportive housing, while senators said they will continue seeking clearer accounting of past appropriations and will continue monitoring long-delayed facilities and programs.

Bill to Strengthen Immunization Tracking in Schools Clears Committee

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Bill to Strengthen Immunization Tracking in Schools Clears Committee
Immunization Program Director Monife Stout testifies before the Senate Health, Hospitals and Human Services Committee in support of Bill 36‑0278, which would require providers to report childhood vaccinations to the Virgin Islands Immunization Registry and formalize the school exemption process. Stout also urged senators to consider phasing out non‑medical exemptions. (Photo courtesy V.I. Legislature)

The Senate Health, Hospitals and Human Services Committee on Thursday advanced a bill that would tighten the tracking of school vaccinations in the Virgin Islands and spell out in law which students must be immunized to attend class.

Bill No. 36-0278, sponsored by Sen. Ray Fonseca, was approved on a 6-0 vote with one senator absent and now heads to the Rules and Judiciary Committee. The measure would require doctors, clinics and hospitals to report childhood vaccinations to the Virgin Islands Immunization Registry within a set deadline. It would also formalize the steps parents must take if they seek an exemption from school immunization requirements.

Health officials said the registry already exists and has been rebuilt on a modern platform since the 2017 hurricanes, but not all providers use it consistently. Immunization Program Director Monife Stout testified that 77% of vaccinating providers are enrolled in the registry and only 74% regularly upload data, leaving important gaps in the record.

Health officials told lawmakers the bill is needed because incomplete reporting has left the department uncertain about the vaccination status of hundreds of children. Stout said 820 children born between 2020 and 2025 appear in the system as unvaccinated simply because there is no record of shots, exemptions or refusals for them.

“This creates uncertainty regarding their true vaccination status and highlights the importance of a complete and timely immunization report,” she told senators.

The bill also says providers would be legally required to enter childhood vaccinations into the registry within a set time frame rather than doing so on an inconsistent basis. Health officials said that step, combined with clearer rules on exemptions, is intended to give the department a more complete picture of student vaccination records and improve its ability to respond to outbreaks.

Under current practice, parents may request exemptions for medical, religious or personal reasons. Families seeking exemptions must meet with Department of Health staff, receive counseling on the benefits of vaccination and submit paperwork that is reviewed by the department’s medical director and commissioner. Exemptions must be renewed annually.

Health officials told lawmakers they want to phase out non‑medical exemptions altogether. Their recommendation is to remove both religious and personal‑preference exemptions from the law and limit waivers to children who cannot safely receive vaccines for documented medical reasons. That suggestion sparked the sharpest exchanges of the hearing, as senators tried to balance public‑health concerns with religious and parental rights.

Sen. Marvin Blyden, who called the legislation “a no-brainer,” said he was uncomfortable with eliminating religious exemptions. “I understand the importance of being vaccinated, but when it comes to religion, I don’t think we want to go there or touch that,” he said.

Sen. Alma Francis Heyliger similarly emphasized parental choice, arguing that families who oppose vaccination should retain the ability to opt out. “I don’t want to be one of those that take away people’s rights,” she said.

Committee Vice Chair Sen. Hubert Fredrick also questioned whether the government should remove that option altogether. “If they feel that this is a little too intrusive for them and their children, I think there should be a provision in there to allow them to opt out,” he said.

Senate President Milton Potter likewise expressed skepticism about eliminating religious exemptions, noting that most states continue to allow them.

Sen. Kurt Vialet, who said he intends to support the bill, argued that exemptions should be more closely scrutinized to ensure they are based on genuine religious beliefs rather than being used as a “way out” of vaccination requirements. He said he would like to strengthen the bill’s language while still protecting individual rights and guarding against the return of preventable childhood diseases such as measles.

Stout said her recommendation to phase out nonmedical exemptions is rooted in data from other jurisdictions showing that vaccination rates improved after eliminating religious exemptions. She cited information presented at a national immunization summit indicating that states such as California, Maine, Mississippi, New York and West Virginia saw “significant improvements in vaccination rates” after eliminating religious exemptions.

Health officials also sought to address concerns about access. They noted that most routine childhood vaccines are available at no cost to eligible uninsured and underinsured children through the federally funded Vaccines for Children program, which operates at 14 sites across the territory.

As Bill 36‑0278 moves to the Rules and Judiciary Committee, lawmakers appear largely united on the need for more complete vaccination records and stronger reporting requirements. The bill the committee approved does not remove religious or other non‑medical exemptions, but whether those opt‑outs should remain available is likely to be one of the measure’s most closely debated issues as it moves forward.

DPNR Seeks Public Input on Future Exhibits at Fort Frederik Museum

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DPNR Seeks Public Input on Future Exhibits at Fort Frederik Museum
Fort Frederiksted (Screenshot from online meeting)

The Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources is inviting the public to help shape the future of exhibits at Fort Frederik Museum on St. Croix as officials move forward with plans to reimagine the historic landmark as a center for Virgin Islands history, culture and community storytelling.

During a Wednesday virtual town hall, DPNR officials and museum consultants outlined preliminary concepts for new exhibits that would explore the history of the U.S. Virgin Islands through themes including Indigenous heritage, migration, colonialism, slavery, resistance, emancipation, labor movements, cultural creativity and the transfer of the territory from Danish to American rule. The project is currently in its conceptual phase, with officials emphasizing that community feedback will play a critical role in determining the museum’s final direction. A similar meeting was held on Tuesday for Fort Christian Museum on St. Thomas.

Monica Marin, DPNR’s chief curator and project lead, said the goal is to create a museum experience that “reclaims, honors and memorializes the authentic stories of Frederiksted and St. Croix” while connecting local history to broader Caribbean and global narratives. She noted that Fort Frederik and Fort Christian, both national historic monuments, will share some interpretive themes while maintaining exhibits unique to their respective islands and communities.

Among the proposed exhibit topics are the island’s original Indigenous inhabitants, the impact of European colonization, the role of Fort Frederik in the 1848 Emancipation Uprising, post-emancipation labor struggles, and the contributions of Virgin Islanders to the global Black liberation movement. Officials also highlighted plans to incorporate oral histories, personal narratives and local artistic perspectives throughout the museum experience.

Community members offered several suggestions during the discussion, including the creation of a family history center where residents and visitors could research genealogy and document family connections to the Virgin Islands. Participants pointed to successful models at other museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and a museum in St. Barts that allows families to contribute genealogical information through interactive displays.

DPNR officials responded favorably to the idea, noting that plans are already being considered for dedicated spaces where oral histories and community memories can be recorded and preserved. The concept aligns with broader goals of making the museum a place where residents can document their own connections to Fort Frederik and the island’s history.

Questions were also raised about accessibility and the use of exhibit space within the historic structure. Participants noted that portions of the fort, including upper levels, may present challenges for visitors with mobility limitations. In response, Marin said potential technological solutions such as augmented reality and virtual tours would allow visitors to experience otherwise inaccessible areas of the fort.

Additional exhibit concepts presented during the meeting included immersive projections, augmented reality experiences, audio stations, interactive document displays, recording booths for oral histories, tactile exhibits, commissioned artwork by local artists and rotating community-curated exhibits. Officials said these features would help bring historical narratives to life while ensuring the museum remains engaging for students, visitors and residents alike.

Assistant Commissioner Jozette Walker explained that funding for the conceptual design work comes through a grant administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. Approximately $500,000 was awarded for exhibit planning at both Fort Frederik and Fort Christian museums.

DPNR is encouraging the public to participate in an online survey and submit feedback on exhibit themes, design concepts and priorities. Officials said community input gathered through the survey and town hall meetings will be compiled and provided to exhibit designers as the project moves into its next phase.

St. Croix Man Attempted to Import 44,000 Lethal Doses of Fentanyl

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St. Croix Man Attempted to Import 44,000 Lethal Doses of Fentanyl
Just two milligrams of fentanyl could kill a person, according to federal officials. A St. Croix man pleaded guilty to smuggling 88,670 milligrams of the deadly synthetic opioid. (Shutterstock image)
A Virgin Islands man pleaded guilty to smuggling 88.67 grams of fentanyl into St. Croix by mail, enough to potentially kill every resident of the island, officials said Wednesday. Mario Felix, 36, mailed a black book from Hollywood, Florida, hollowed out to conceal 800 tablets of fentanyl on Dec. 27, 2022, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Federal officers discovered the book Dec. 31 of that year and, using fingerprints and other evidence, tracked the parcel to Felix. The total weight of fentanyl Felix smuggled came to 88.67 grams, or 88,670 milligrams. Just two milligrams of the incredibly powerful synthetic opioid can be lethal to adults, depending on body size and other factors, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The 44,335 doses were enough to potentially kill each of St. Croix’s roughly 41,000 year-round residents. Attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum term of five years and a maximum term of 40 years of imprisonment, prosecutors said. It was not clear when Felix, who has many other arrests, might be sentenced. In 2010, Felix pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, destruction of property, and firearms offenses. In 2011, federal officers charged Felix with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana, as well as firearms charges. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to possessing, distributing, or manufacturing a controlled substance in a deal with local prosecutors that dropped multiple firearm charges. In 2016, he pleaded no contest to tampering with a vehicle and destruction of property. In 2020, he was charged federally with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by a felon in a school zone. Felix was also arrested for additional felonies in 2009, in 2011, and in 2012 but court records available online were incomplete and didn’t offer details.

Michael Kareem Petersen Dies at 50

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Michael Kareem Petersen Dies at 50
With profound sadness and loving remembrance, we announce the passing of Michael Kareem Petersen, affectionately known as “Mad Man Mitch” of Soul Prophecy Sound, who departed this life on June 2, 2026, at the age of 50. 
Michael Kareem Petersen
Born on Nov. 5, 1975, Michael was a vibrant and unforgettable presence whose passion for music, friendship, and community left a lasting impression on everyone he encountered. His warm spirit, infectious personality, and love for entertaining made him a beloved figure throughout the Virgin Islands and beyond. Through Soul Prophecy Sounds, he shared not only music, but joy, laughter, and memories that will be cherished forever. Michael was a devoted husband, a loyal friend, and a man who valued family above all else. He was preceded in death by his mother, Shirley McIntosh; his father, Michael A. Petersen; his grandparents, Theodora Petersen and David Petersen; his sister, Shauna Parrilla; and his uncle, David McIntosh. He leaves to cherish his memory his beloved wife, Thamrah Gomes; his sister, Cherelyn Petersen; his aunts, Mercedes Gaskin, Elisa Harrison, Phyllis McIntosh, Cheryl McIntosh, Barbara McIntosh, Ina McIntosh, Cecilia Benjamin, and Gail McIntosh; his uncles, Thorvald McIntosh and Paul McIntosh; his mother-in-law, Gwendolyn Gomes; numerous cousins too many to mention individually; his special friends, Dave Martinez and Chef Buddy; the Reef 103.5 Family; the 100.1 FM Radio Station Family; the Twigs Ministry and Worship Center Family; the Caribbean Kidney Center; and many other relatives and friends whose lives were touched by his kindness, humor, and unwavering friendship. A funeral service for Michael Kareem Petersen, “Mad Man Mitch,” will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at Twigs Ministry and Worship Center, #1B Humbug, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 00820. Viewing will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the funeral service at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Kingshill Cemetery. Although he has departed from this earthly life, Michael’s legacy of love, laughter, music, and fellowship will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved him. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered. “Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.”

O’Neal Sentencing Paused Until Afternoon

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O’Neal Sentencing Paused Until Afternoon

A federal judge granted a brief continuance Thursday morning, until 1 p.m., during a sentencing hearing for Jenifer O’Neal, the former Management and Budget director who in December was convicted on charges of wire fraud, bribery and money laundering conspiracy.

O’Neal’s hearing comes two days after U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kearney sentenced her codefendant, former V.I. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez, to 10 years in prison for his role in a kickback scheme that included himself, O’Neal and David Whitaker, a cybersecurity contractor with a long history of fraud who became the government’s cooperating witness in the case against Martinez and O’Neal. Whitaker was sentenced to 22 months Wednesday.

The leadup to O’Neal’s sentencing was marked by missed deadlines and last-ditch attempts to seal her sentencing memorandum — and accompanying character letters from her supporters — which Kearney denied. On Wednesday, he ordered O’Neal and her attorney, Dale Lionel Smith, to file the materials “forthwith.”

The materials still hadn’t been filed by Thursday morning, and Kearney initially said he would only be able to rely on the presentence investigation report and the government’s sentencing memorandum in which they recommended a seven-year sentence. Kearney also said that it was “curious” that O’Neal declined to provide financial information to the probation officer who compiled the presentence report, sparking what became a heated exchange with Smith.

“You made the decision not to respond to a court request,” Kearney admonished, adding that Smith didn’t get to decide which orders to comply with. “Please don’t hurt your client any further.”

Smith and O’Neal continued to raise what they believed were important corrections to information in the presentence report that Kearney said created “a whole variety of issues,” and he later asked O’Neal if she was satisfied with her representation.

“I have issues, your honor, to be quite honest,” she said, citing previous conversations she said she’d had with Smith about the importance of meeting court deadlines. O’Neal said finding out that her sentencing memo hadn’t been filed was “a major concern.”

“How do I proceed right now? I don’t know,” she said. She eventually asked Kearney to postpone the sentencing hearing in order to resolve her issues with missing information in the presentencing report, at which point Kearney said any continuance would likely require that O’Neal be remanded into custody.

Smith told the court that “friction” between lawyers and clients is normal.

“That’s all this is,” he said. “It will be resolved, and she will be sentenced.”

The hearing was adjourned until 1 p.m.

Op-Ed: Finally, Proper Recognition for St. Croix’s Historic Baobab Tree

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Op-Ed: Finally, Proper Recognition for St. Croix’s Historic Baobab Tree
The signage, and benches under the historic baobab tree in Grove Place is a tribute to Ms. Magdalene Edney and her family. (Photo by Olasee Davis)
The signage, and benches under the historic baobab tree in Grove Place are a tribute to Ms. Magdalene Edney and her family, who own the property. (Photo by Olasee Davis)

In 2017, the historic baobab tree in Estate Grove Place on St. Croix was impacted by Hurricane Maria. Branches were hanging off the tree due to the violent winds of the storm. In other words, the tree looked pretty beat-up. As my usual self, I wrote a protest article to the local newspaper to make the community aware of the need to save the Grove Place baobab tree. How much time, would I say it to myself — as a community, we have no patriotism when it comes to the preservation and protection of our natural and cultural resources in the Virgin Islands.

Olasee Davis
Olasee Davis, Ph.D. (Submitted photo)

Why should I care about the Virgin Islands’ natural and cultural resources? As a people, very few of us show interest in our natural surroundings. To be frank, we trash these islands with garbage all over the place, even in remote areas of the islands. It hurts me when I see our streets and roadsides trashed with garbage. As a people, we have become so accustomed to garbage and abandoned vehicles in bushes or along the roadsides, that we ourselves don’t realize that we are walking around in our own filth.

About trash in the Virgin Islands, it ended up in a book entitled, “The Remarkable Baobab,” by Thomas Pakenham, one of the world’s great photographers of trees. In 2014, I worked with Mr. Pakenham as he prepared to write about the baobab trees in the Virgin Islands, especially the trees on St. Croix. I felt bad when I took him to the baobab tree in Grove Place and saw the trash and bush surrounding this historic tree. What can I say?

It is not what I say, but what the researcher of trees said when he was taking photos of the Grove Place historic baobab tree. “But I was astonished to find that today this heroic survivor is largely ignored. Once it was a jumbie tree and a symbol of suffering and resistance. Now, apart from Olasee and his friends, no one seemed to give a damn,” wrote Pakenham. He went on and said in his book of the 300-year-old baobab tree in Grove Place, “The place was used as a rubbish dump, and the tree itself was half hidden by thorn bushes.”

In 2003, the late Dr. Robert W. Nicholls and colleagues of mine from the University of the Virgin Islands submitted a nominating paper for the Estate Grove Place baobab tree, to the National Register of Historic Trees. He and I took it upon ourselves that the Grove Place baobab tree is valuable enough to be a national historic tree among our nation’s historic trees and the world. For about 300 years, the tree witnessed history from enslaved laborers, the plantation workers, Emancipation of 1848, the 1878 Fireburn with sugarcane workers, and in 1915 when the labor union was established — all under the Grove Place baobab tree.

Every year, we celebrate D. Hamilton Jackson on Nov. 1 to honor Jackson for the freedom of the press for us Virgin Islanders. It was Oct. 15, 1915 when an issue of The Herald was published and a bull was slaughtered and roasted, and the public feasted on it under the very same baobab tree in Grove Place.

Nevertheless, we got a letter back from American Forests on whether the baobab tree in Grove Place could be one of the nation’s historic trees. Here are a few sentences from the American Forests National Register of Historic Trees in reference to the baobab tree in Grove Place:

“Once that is finalized, forestry personnel will physically visit the tree, verify the species, and take official measurements. Photography will be obtained based on the publisher’s instructions. Thank you for taking your time to make us aware of this notable tree, Sincerely Sheila T. Pursley, Project Coordinator, National Register of Historic Trees.”

As a result of the late Dr. Nicholls and my effort, the Grove Place baobab tree was listed as a National Register of Historic Trees in our nation and the Virgin Islands. It is the only tree that I know of in the Virgin Islands to be on the National Register of Historic Trees.

A family photo of the late Magdalene Edney.
A family photo of the late Magdalene Edney.

In late fall of 2025, a colleague, Vanessa Forbes from the School of Agriculture, University of the Virgin Islands contacted me about a gentleman who’d contacted her from Grove Place, concerned about the baobab tree’s health. I got in contact with the gentleman. From there, I contacted Alma Winkfield, vice president of the Virgin Islands Trail Alliance of which I am a member, to consider making the Grove Place baobab a tree project. Then, we got in contact with the landowner, Ms. Magdalene Edney. With her permission, we told her the V.I. Trail Alliance would remove the termites and the bees from this historic tree. We also told her that we would like to install benches and a sign giving the botanical history and cultural history of the Grove Place baobab tree.

Believe me, Ms. Edney was all excited about the tree project. All expenses of the baobab tree project in Grove Place were paid for by the Virgin Islands Trail Alliance organization, to install the benches, signage and painting of poles along the road near the tree. However, my heart was broken when I learned that Ms. Edney passed away. She never got a chance to see the baobab tree project completed. The signage and benches under the historic baobab tree in Grove Place are a tribute to Ms. Magdalene Edney and her family.

The tree project signage gives recognition to all who contributed to make it possible to save the Grove Place baobab tree. It is projects like this that give me hope and comfort to know that there are still people in the Virgin Islands’ community that care for the natural and cultural resources of these islands.

— Olasee Davis is a bush professor who lectures and writes about the culture, history, ecology and environment of the Virgin Islands when he is not leading hiking tours of the wild places and spaces of St. Croix and beyond. Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.

Government Witness Who Pleaded Guilty, Testified Against 3 Public Officials Gets 22 Months

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Government Witness Who Pleaded Guilty, Testified Against 3 Public Officials Gets 22 Months
Cutline: David Whitaker, left, leaves the federal courthouse with attorney David Cattie, right, after a sentencing hearing Wednesday on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
David Whitaker, left, leaves the federal courthouse with attorney David Cattie after a sentencing hearing Wednesday on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)

A federal judge Wednesday sentenced convicted felon, cybersecurity contractor and star witness David Whitaker to 22 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme that roiled the territory and led to multiple high-profile resignations and convictions.

Whitaker pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of bribery in September 2024, roughly one year after he began cooperating with federal investigators. The first wire fraud count stems from a more than $130,000 bill Whitaker sent to VIPD after his company, Mon Ethos Pro Support, was hired to sweep government offices for listening devices or “bugs.” Whitaker has admitted to planting most of the devices himself. The second wire fraud charge came from false statements Whitaker made to the U.S. Small Business Administration in order to secure a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan in February 2021.

The bribery charge stemmed from payments Whitaker began making to former V.I. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez “so that he would stop working on his restaurant during work hours and pay my invoices,” according to his testimony during Martinez and former Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal’s trial in December.

Wednesday’s sentencing hearing began with a lengthy sidebar during which Alexandre Dempsey, a trial attorney with the U.S. Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, and David Cattie, Whitaker’s attorney, apparently conveyed to U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kearney that it was Martinez who roped Whitaker into the scheme and not the other way around. When introducing the government’s 22-month sentencing recommendation, Dempsey said that it had been suggested both in court and in public that it was Whitaker who came to the U.S. Virgin Islands to instigate fraud.

“The United States does not believe that to be the case,” Dempsey said, adding that it was also a matter of record that Martinez was aware of a separate kickback arrangement between Whitaker, businessman Benjamin Hendricks and former Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White. Whitaker, Dempsey said, heard Martinez’s “veiled request for a bribe and took him up on it.”

Kearney later apologized to Whitaker directly.

“I read you as being the solicitor,” he said, adding that he now understood that it was Martinez who saw and exploited an opportunity to use Whitaker.

The admission came less than a day after Kearney sentenced Martinez to 10 years in prison and expressed bewilderment that Martinez — once the territory’s highest ranking law enforcement officer — hadn’t looked into Whitaker’s well-documented criminal history before taking bribes and colluding with him to skim from inflated invoices submitted under a federally funded contract. Whitaker said Wednesday that people in the Virgin Islands, including Martinez, were well aware of his criminal past because he told them about it.

Dempsey acknowledged Whitaker’s history but noted that Whitaker quickly confessed when confronted and said that Whitaker had performed every action asked of him after he agreed to work with federal investigators.

“He is as cooperative as a cooperator can be,” Dempsey said.

Cattie, who asked Kearney for a sentence of home confinement because of Whitaker’s cooperation and health issues, also noted that Martinez, O’Neal, White and Hendricks chose to deny and fight the charges against them. In a sentencing memorandum filed last week, Cattie also pointed out that Whitaker was only charged with “corrupt conduct” related to Martinez. His interactions with O’Neal, White and Hendricks all happened after he began cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Without that cooperation, it’s unlikely that the three former cabinet members and Hendricks would have been convicted.

“Suffice it to say, I do find that your assistance was substantial,” Kearney told Whitaker at one point.

Cattie argued that the benefit of Whitaker’s cooperation went beyond the four convictions because it acts as a deterrent for the next government official who may be thinking about taking a bribe in a territory where public corruption is widely perceived as pervasive and difficult to prove.

“It’s the whisper. It’s the wink,” he said, but Whitaker “brought that to light.”

Addressing the court, Whitaker once again admitted to the false invoices, the PPP fraud and the bribes. People were already worried about whether their government is working for them, he said, “and I added to it.”

“I knew better and I did it anyway,” he said. “The hard question is why I did it again.”

Whitaker, who was free on $250,000 bail and has been living in Georgia while he awaited sentencing, told the court that when he arrived in the territory, he left behind the people in his life who held him accountable and that he let Martinez’s position as police commissioner “carry too much weight.”

“I did wrong. I know better. I failed. I’m sorry,” he said, adding that he was ready to face the consequences.

The court also heard from Anthony Thomas, a former V.I. Property and Procurement commissioner who later took a position at Mon Ethos and who was appointed chief administrative officer of the V.I. Water and Power Authority in late 2024. Thomas asked for leniency and spoke more broadly about the need for accountability and institutional guardrails.

“No one should be above accountability. Public trust is a sacred responsibility,” he said. Kearney said later that it would be unfair for anyone to compare Whitaker’s sentence with those imposed on Martinez, O’Neal and White.

“They took an oath to serve,” he said. “They were trusted.”

Following his incarceration, Whitaker faces three years of supervised release, including six months of home confinement. He was ordered to pay $600,000 in restitution and given until Jan. 2, 2027 to surrender so that he can make arrangements for a person for whom Whitaker is a caretaker.

O’Neal’s sentencing is set for 9 a.m. Thursday at the federal court on St. Thomas.

Editor’s Note: Reporter Grayton Goldsmith contributed to this reporting.

Judge Denies Jenifer O’Neal’s Last-Minute Motion to Seal Sentencing Memo

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Judge Denies Jenifer O’Neal’s Last-Minute Motion to Seal Sentencing Memo
Ray Martinez's co-defendant, former Office of Management and Budget director Jenifer O'Neal, arrives at the federal courthouse Wednesday on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)
Former V.I. Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday at the federal courthouse on St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)

Jenifer O’Neal’s motion to seal her sentencing request and accompanying 24 letters of support was denied by a federal judge Wednesday, the day before the former V.I. Management and Budget director is due to be sentenced for wire fraud, bribery and money laundering conspiracy.

O’Neal’s attorney, Dale Lionel Smith, emailed the request and letters directly to the court Monday. In a motion filed Tuesday, he wrote that the “letter writers were assured that their letters would be read only by the court and parties and not placed on the public docket.”

“The letters contain personal and identifying information of the writers and the contents of the letters are inseparable from the memorandum,” according to Smith. The memo also references information that remains under a judicial protective order, “and the information should remain that way” in case O’Neal is granted a new trial “in this very small community.”

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kearney denied the 11th-hour motion to seal O’Neal’s “long overdue” memo Wednesday and wrote that he did not find “a basis to preclude public access for issues required to be resolved in the public courtroom” after reviewing the documents and letters himself. He ordered O’Neal to file the materials “forthwith” — emphasis his — including her “request for variance with the proffered letters of support (if she wishes our consideration), redacting only street addresses of persons providing letters of support.”

Those documents had not appeared on the public docket by Wednesday evening.

O’Neal’s sentencing comes two days after that of her codefendant, former V.I. Police Commissioner Ray Martinez, and a day after that of David Whitaker, a cybersecurity contractor who became a government witness. Martinez and Whitaker both filed sentencing requests and multiple letters of support from friends, family and supporters ahead of their own sentencing hearings. Kearney regularly tells defendants during such hearings that he appreciates and values the letters when considering what sentence to impose.

The government has recommended a seven-year term of incarceration for O’Neal along with a $100,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

“The conduct at issue was calculated, deliberate, and grounded in greed, self-interest, and a complete betrayal of the public trust,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro and Alexandre Dempsey, a trial attorney with the U.S. Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, last week.

O’Neal and Martinez resigned in June 2024 after federal investigators seized their phones and other materials amid an investigation into their dealings with Whitaker and his company, Mon Ethos Pro Support. Both were indicted in January 2025. Separately, former V.I. Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White and businessman Benjamin Hendricks were indicted at the same time for selling a $2.1 million contract to Mon Ethos for the promise of a $16,000 kickback.

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