July 31, 2006 – Charges of conspiracy, fraud and accepting a bribe–lodged against former Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen in the high profile Global Resources Management case–have been dropped. Hansen is still charged with conflict of interest in the matter.
Hansen was charged along with four others relative to a $3.6 million no-bid contract awarded to GRM in December 2002 under a state of emergency declared by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull. The U.S. Attorney's Office, which went to court the following month to challenge the awarding of the contract, described Global Resources as a company with one employee, no bonding, no equipment and no track-record in the work it was contracted to do.
In a motion signed Monday by U.S. Attorney Anthony Jenkins, the U.S. attorney moved under federal rule 48 to dismiss counts 1, 7, 8, 12 and 14 of the superseding indictment against Hansen.
Charges against Hansen's husband Edsel were dismissed in May.(See "Fraud and Conspiracy Charges Dismissed Against Esdel Hansen").
Esdel Hansen was the only person actually hired by Global Resources at the time they were about to sign a $3.6 million contract with the Turnbull administration to repair the ailing St. Croix sewer system.
Also in May, Ohanio Harris, former special assistant to Gov. Charles W. Turnbull, pleaded guilty
in District Court to conspiracy to commit theft and bribery in connection with federal money, conflict of interest and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. (See "Harris Pleads Guilty in GRM Contract Scam").
If convicted of conflict of interest, Hansen would face a minimum of one year and up to five years in prison, and a $5,000 fine, according to Assistant Attorney General James Carroll III.
Co-defendants Ashley Andrews and Campbell Malone still face a number of charges.
Carroll said the trial is still set for Aug. 16.
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