On his last week as governor, John deJongh Jr. commuted the sentences of two people serving time and pardoned 16.
One of those pardons is for Willis Todman, a former administrator of the Government Employees Retirement System who was convicted of fraud.
DeJongh’s acts, which were signed on Dec. 31, were announced Sunday by Government House.
The announcement included the documents on the pardons and commutations. They can be seen here.
Todman, 54, worked for the government for 27 years, rising to the top position at GERS. He was charged with fraud, grand larceny, and obtaining money under false pretenses. On Oct. 18, 2011, he was convicted and sentenced to five years incarceration.
During his trial, evidence showed he had submitted a forged approval signature to illicitly receive a second full, six-figure salary from government pensioners.
The pardon order notes that prior to his conviction Todman had made many contributions to the community, resulting in community awards and prompting many letters of support.
"Taking together the facts and circumstances of the underlying conduct of the offenses charged and the fact that Mr. Todman had no prior criminal history, the issuance of pardon is warranted," the order said.
According to the documents, deJongh commuted the sentences of Jeremy M. Chuik-Davis and Henry Curtis Sampson.
The 56-year-old Sampson has been serving a life sentence since 1996 for a first-degree murder conviction. According to a letter from Dr. Leslie Burton of the Bureau of Corrections, Sampson is dying of cancer, and is not a candidate for either chemotherapy or surgery.
Sampson was released from Schneider Regional Medical Center Dec. 5 and returned to incarceration at Golden Grove Adult Correctional Institution. But the prison does not have the staffing or the space to provide the 24-hour care that Sampson requires.
"We are in constant contact with his family and his mosque, who have agreed to receive and care for him upon release from custody," Burton said in the letter, which can be read here.
Chuik-Davis is a 29-year-old St. Croix native who attended several local schools before graduating from Laurel Springs Academy in California. On Feb. 23, 2011, he pled guilty to the a charge of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He has served four.
DeJongh noted the "numerous letters of support and commendation" he received, "including those who have witnessed his rehabilitation during his incarceration and the fact that Jeremy M. Chiuk-Davis has no prior criminal history." The governor also noted that Chiuk-Davis "is deeply remorseful for his actions that resulted in the death of another and has been a model prisoner during his period of incarceration."
Other pardons issued and the circumstances according to the pardon orders, were:
– Orville Bergan, who was convicted of third-degree assault and aggravated assault and battery in 1999. He was pardoned for those offenses by Gov. Charles Turnbull, but due to a clerical error his name was not included in that pardon document.
– St. Claire DeSilvia, who in 2010 was convicted of filing or recording a forged instrument.
– Delma Francis, a former V.I. Police Department officer who became involved in a welfare fraud scheme and was convicted of obtaining money under false pretenses, embezzlement and falsification of public account.
– Alfred A. Maduro, a 24-year-old St. Thomas resident who in 2013 was convicted of unauthorized possession of a firearm and served a six-month sentence. He is now a student at Bethune-Cookman University and upon graduation intends to become an elementary school teacher.
– Don Joseph Berry, who in the 1970s was convicted of several charges of burglary and sentenced to serve more than 36 years in prison. He was called a model prisoner and was paroled in 1990. Since then he has not been charged with any crime.
– Kyshma J. Clarke, was convicted of third-degree assault in 2011 and was sentenced to probation. She has fulfilled all terms of the probation and made restitution.
– Cletis A. Clendenin Jr., was convicted of domestic violence and third-degree assault. He was sentenced to community service and anger management, and has fulfilled those conditions.
– Tsean Walters; after serving the 30-day sentence, making restitution and completing probation, the 25-year-old Walters has turned his life around, the order notes, attending trade school, supporting his infant daughter and taking an active role at his church in Florida, where he now lives.
– Wayne A. Bell, was sentenced in 2004 to two years probation for his conviction on third-degree assault. He has been honorably discharged from the Virgin islands National Guard and is employed by the Department of Justice.
– Alejandro D. Lima, was convicted in 2012 of third-degree assault and has met all the terms of his probation.
– Sacha Davis, a 2009 graduate of Eudora Ivanna Kean High School, was sentenced four years on a conviction of obtaining money under false pretenses. She was recommended for pardon by former Superior Court Judge Audrey L. Thomas, who has been her mentor since her May 2014 release from prison.
– Edwaldo E. Lebron Jr., 51, became a drug addict in his youth, which is cited as the primary reason for his criminal record, which includes assault and batter, and forgery. During his incarceration he completed a drug-rehabilitation program and is drug and alcohol free today. He is employed and is the primary custodian of his three children.
– Carol C. Abbott, a St. Kitts native, moved to the VirgiN islands where she worked at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. In 2009 she was convicted of making fraudulent claims agains the government, She performed community service and was discharged from probation in 2010.
– Milton F. Moreland Jr., w2as convicted in 2012 of unauthorized possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 90 days incarceration and a fine. He is scheduled to complete his probation in March. A graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School and New England Technical Institution, he is employe3d by Diamonds International and is custodial parent of his three minor children.
– Avery Lans, 47, was sentenced in 1991 to 40 years in prison for a conviction of second-degree murder. He was released in 2009, after having served 25 years.
