Two men, one from St. Thomas and one from the British Virgin Islands, were indicted Thursday in separate cases of bulk cash smuggling charges, U.S. Attorney Ronald Sharpe reported Tuesday in a news release.
Kevin Greaves, 43, of St. Thomas, was arrested Aug. 22 and was released on home confinement with electronic monitoring after posting a $25,000 cash bond pending trial. His arraignment and advice of rights on the indictment are scheduled for Thursday.
According to the indictment and court documents, agents from Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations were conducting surveillance in the East End area of St. John when they observed Greaves approach a vessel that had signaled its arrival from Tortola, BVI, to Greaves at an area overlooking Haulover Bay, St. John.
Greaves allegedly traveled from the lookout area to Haulover Bay, met with the occupants of the vessel, then departed after a brief encounter. HSI agents followed Greaves to the Pine Peace area, where they stopped him and questioned him about his travels. Greaves told agents that he went to Haulover Bay to discuss a welding job with a mechanic, officials said.
Agents searched Greaves’ vehicle and found two duffle bags containing $118,000 in U.S. currency, according to the report. Greaves was arrested and charged with failure to declare the currency after it arrived in the U.S. Virgin Islands from a place outside the United States.
Kevin Henley, 21, of Tortola was indicted on a charge with bulk cash smuggling, according to Sharpe.
Henley was arrested Oct. 7, and was released on home confinement with electronic monitoring after posting a $25,000 cash bond pending trial. His arraignment and advice of rights also are scheduled for Thursday.
According to the indictment and court documents, HSI agents were conducting surveillance in Red Hook, St. Thomas, when they observed Henley load several packages on his British registered vessel docked at the American Yacht Harbor. Henley departed the harbor, but his vessel soon stalled and he was escorted back to the ferry dock by a passenger ferry.
According to the report, as Henley approached the dock he grabbed a black duffle bag from his vessel and attempted to flee the dock without the other packages and without securing the vessel. He was immediately apprehended by HSI agents who inspected his duffle bag and, according to the report, found approximately $256,386 U.S. currency.
Henley was arrested and charged with failure to declare his currency before departing the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Both cases are being investigated by HSI and are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith.
