Hemp Product Surrender on Hold Amid Retailer’s Lawsuit

A federal judge hit pause on a new law requiring businesses to surrender intoxicating hemp-derived products to the Virgin Islands government Wednesday amid a lawsuit from one retailer who claimed that the government raided its store and confiscated $18,000 worth of products nine months before the law was even enacted.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert Molloy granted a temporary restraining order to Homegrown Bar and Grill and prohibited the government from enforcing a section of the law —  approved by the 36th Legislature and signed by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. last month — for two weeks. The section in question required businesses to surrender inventory for products containing:

-Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA); -Delta-6 tetrahydrocannabinol; -Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol; -Delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol; and -any other intoxicating cannabinoid products

According to Wednesday’s order, parties in the lawsuit have until March 5 to submit witness and exhibit lists to the court and a hearing is scheduled for March 11 on St. Thomas.

Homegrown’s lawsuit claimed that the St. Thomas business possessed a valid license from the V.I. Licensing and Consumer Affairs Department at the time it was raided in April 2025 and that the new law failed to provide a mechanism for compensating retailers who surrender their inventories. Molloy wrote that Homegrown met the standard for a restraining order by showing that the seizure “lacks a lawful basis” and that being forced to surrender the remainder of its inventory could put the retailer out of business altogether.

Homegrown’s attorney, Robert Leycock, argued that the seizure and section of the law mandating surrender violate the Fifth Amendment’s “Taking Clause,” which prohibits the government from confiscating private property for public use. After noting that the restraining order would place a relatively small burden on the government, Molloy found that public interest weighed in favor of an injunction because the case “involves substantial constitutional rights.”

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. signed a law legalizing medicinal marijuana use in 2019, and he attempted to expand it to include sacramental use — and generate more tax revenues — less than a year later.  The 34th Legislature approved recreational cannabis use for adults in the last days of 2022, and Bryan signed the measure into law the following month. Joanne Moorehead, director of the V.I. Cannabis Regulation Office, told the Source last month that there are people in the territory who have been authorized by OCR to possess and grow marijuana.

“At this time, there are no legal sales of cannabis in the territory,” she said. “Depending on the law school that they went to and depending on the attorney, I’ve heard different arguments about what that means for others who possess it, and are not registered medical patients, for example.”

She added that the issue will likely be decided by the courts.

Judge Sets Deadlines for Anselmi Arraignment, Plea Deal and Trial Date

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kearney has set a Friday deadline for Morris Anselmi’s attorneys to cement the terms of a plea agreement with the government for his testimony in the upcoming federal fraud trial of Davidson and Sasha Charlemagne.

Complicating matters is the fact that Anselmi, who faces federal wire fraud charges in a separate but related case, is critically ill and on a heart transplant waiting list, attorney Annabelle Nadler told Kearney at a status conference Wednesday morning held via Zoom. She is representing Anselmi and his co-defendant Kimberly McCollum along with St. Croix attorney Scot F. McChain.

Due to his health issues, Anselmi has not had an initial appearance, been arraigned or entered a plea in his case since his arrest in February 2024, raising concerns about speedy trial violations at Wednesday’s conference.

While Kearney acknowledged that Anselmi is “wrestling with health issues” that have caused delays, Nadler said it’s more serious than that, characterizing her client as “extremely, extremely unwell and vulnerable. He is pending a heart transplant.”

Anselmi has been living at a medical center on the mainland for the past year and is attached to an LVAD, or Left Ventricular Assist Device, to keep his heart beating, said Nadler. He only leaves his room to go downstairs to physical therapy or doctor appointments, and should he venture beyond a mile from the facility he would be removed from the transplant waiting list, she said. His condition also leaves him extremely vulnerable to infections, she added.

“He doesn’t really travel outside of [the medical center] because of the danger that the LVAD unit could [fail], the wires could become caught, and obviously, then, you know, be ripped from his body, or that he could pick up an infection, which would be deadly for him,” she said.

However, Nadler said plans are underway for the U.S. Marshal Service to visit Anselmi at the medical center next week, wearing masks and other protective equipment, to get his fingerprints and photo. Kearney subsequently ordered that Anselmi will make a first appearance on or before March 10 over a video platform before Judge Emile A. Henderson III, “which may include a change of plea.” He also ordered that McCollum appear for a plea hearing no later than March 26 on St. Croix, or March 24, 25 or 26 on St. Thomas, “given the assigned U.S. Attorney is resident in St. Thomas.”

Anselmi and McCollum were charged in February 2024 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and making false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration and a financial institution in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the COVID-era federal Paycheck Protection Program.

Anselmi in particular has been identified as a key figure in the ongoing federal case against the Charlemagnes — former subcontractors accused of bilking millions under a federally funded contract while allegedly mismanaging disaster recovery materials — and former V.I. Housing Finance Authority executive Darin Richardson. According to a grand jury indictment of the Charlemagnes and Richardson, Richardson awarded the warehousing contract to Anselmi and McCollum’s company, Island Services Group, while working as VIHFA’s chief operating officer. ISG subcontracted the work to the Charlemagnes’ company, D&S Trucking.

Richardson was found guilty of making material false statements to a federal agent, criminal conflict of interest, bank fraud, money laundering and making false statements on a loan application last March. Over the course of a two-week trial, prosecutors showed that Richardson received a $107,000 loan from Anselmi and that he continued signing off on checks to ISG despite notifying VIHFA of a conflict of interest.

Kearney has set a July 13 trial date for the Charlemagnes and, after conferring with Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise George at Wednesday’s status conference, said Anselmi and McCollum will stand trial the week after the Charlemagne case concludes.

Attorneys for the Charlemagnes have sparred with prosecutors over what testimony from Anselmi, if any, could be heard by a jury. Anselmi’s medical issues prompted attorneys on both sides to seek a recorded deposition last March, but the process came to a standstill after “a dispute arose as to the extent to which he could be cross-examined regarding the PPP Indictment,” Senior District Judge Wilma Lewis recorded in a September opinion.

Lewis found that an immunity agreement between Anselmi and the government only covered testimony related to the Charlemagnes and that “in the absence of a change in Anselmi’s potential criminal exposure which would permit him to fully answer Defendant’s cross-examination questions… without a legitimate fear of self-incrimination,” his testimony would be excluded at trial.

On Wednesday, Nadler confirmed that the Justice Department provided the defense with a proposed agreement last Friday to resolve the matter as to judicial immunity, which Nadler said she and McChain are discussing with Anselmi.

Kearney ordered that the defense report on their acceptance or rejection of that deal by midday Friday and cautioned that he did not want any more delays.

“I just have to make sure we keep moving,” he said.

$56K Dental Equipment Donation Expands Services at East End Medical Center

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(from left) David Beale, Tina Beale, East End Representative Lindsay Day, East End CFO Steven Mayers, Executive Assistant to the Dental Director Gloria Colon, East End board member Lisle Evelyn. Not pictured Foundation liaison Liza Margolis (submitted photo)

The Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation has donated $56,000 worth of dental equipment to the St. Thomas East End Medical Center, a contribution clinic officials say will significantly expand and modernize oral health services on St. Thomas.

STEEMCC’s dental clinic serves approximately 5,000 patients each year, providing preventive, diagnostic and restorative care to residents of all ages. Many of those patients rely on the center as their primary source of dental services. According to the center, the new equipment is expected to increase appointment availability, reduce wait times and improve diagnostic accuracy, while creating a safer and more comfortable clinical environment.

The donation includes a fully equipped dental operatory with an exam chair, doctor’s stool and assistant stool; two digital intraoral sensors; two intraoral X-ray units; an AirStar 40 dental air compressor; and a new water distiller. Clinic administrators said the upgrades will strengthen infection control, streamline clinical efficiency and enhance the quality of imaging and patient care.

“This donation represents an investment not only in equipment, but in the health and wellbeing of our community,” said Gloria Colon, executive assistant to the dental director. “Thanks to the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation, STEEMCC is better equipped to support our dental team and continue delivering compassionate, high-quality care to the patients who rely on us every day.”

For decades, the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation has supported health care advancement, educational opportunities and community-focused initiatives in the territory. Clinic officials said the latest gift continues that legacy while directly strengthening access to essential oral health services for families across St. Thomas.

‘Health is Wealth Part 2’ Invites Community to Go Deeper

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Omar Ewen (executive director of ElevateWi), Tomas Alejandro III (fitness therapist) and Dr Gail Wint (licensed clinical psychologist) lead group exercise at WiStudios. (Photo courtesy Darryl Jones)

On Sunday, March 1 at 5 p.m., ElevateWi welcomes the community back to WiStudies Creative Hub on St. Thomas for “Health is Wealth- Part 2,” the latest installment of their signature arts and wellness gathering, “Grounded.”

“Grounded” is an immersive community experience that blends creative expression with mental wellness, physical health, and personal empowerment. Each session typically features themed discussions, guest experts including psychologists and coaches, live soulful music, poetry and spoken word, wellness practices such as yoga or guided reflection, healthy food and drinks, and open mic opportunities.

“The goal is to create space for healing, honest conversation, creative vulnerability, and genuine community connection. Attendees often leave lighter, more aligned, more inspired, seen and supported,” said ElevateWi’s founder and Executive Director Omar Ewen.

The studios are located at 18B-2, Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas, across from the airport. With Google Maps they can be located using GPS. 

Following a previous session themed “Reframe,” participants can expect this next installment to be a deeper dive into personal enlightenment. “We are going deeper into the physical discipline that strengthens our bodies, deeper into the mental health care that helps us work through traumas, deeper into the spiritual practices that anchor our peace, and deeper into what it truly means to embody wealth, not just think about it. If part one shifted the atmosphere from heavy to lifted, part two will help us live it,” said Ewen.

The evening kicks off with open mic performances inspired by the “Health is Wealth” theme. Participants can sign up online when they register, bringing poetry, songs, stories, or even dance to share with the community. Event-goers can expect intentional conversations, grounding energy, and space to reconnect with both self and community. “Attendees will explore how movement, nourishment, and mental and spiritual alignment shape the quality of their lives in tangible ways,” Ewen said.

“Grounded is curated for creatives, entrepreneurs, culture bearers, leaders and professionals, caregivers, young adults, and anyone who is building something whether it is a business, a career, a calling, and a better vision of themselves. Grounded exists for individuals who understand that success without wellness is unsustainable. It’s for people who want growth but not at the expense of their peace,” he added.

Attendees are encouraged to register here.

Cruise Passenger Rescued After Falling From St. Croix Pier

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The The Port Authority posted this photo on social media of Chief Wharfinger Waynia Charles and VI Police Department Officer Karima Liburd after the rescue. (Submitted photo)
A cruise ship visitor fell into the sea while trying to tie her shoes on the edge of St. Croix’s pier but was quickly rescued by fast-acting government employees, officials said. The Oceania Nautica passenger became dizzy after sitting down on the edge of the pier to tie her laces around noon Monday — and fell into the water, according to the Virgin Islands Port Authority. Waynia Charles, who manages operations at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Facility, and VI Police Department Officer Karima Liburd, dove in after her and, with the help of a floatation ring, were able to rescue the woman without injury, Port Authority said. Dock Master Devante Edwards radioed nearby vessels for assistance, and the SV Juliet responded to the call, arriving swiftly with a dinghy. VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe commended Chief Wharfinger Charles and Officer Liburd for their heroism. The passenger was transported to the Juan F. Luis Hospital where she was treated and later released. The Nautica departed St. Croix at 5 p.m. Monday and the Department of Tourism helped arrange hotel accommodations for the traveler and her companion following her discharge from the hospital.

Lower Utility Bills With Weatherization Assistance Program

The Virgin Islands Energy Office is proud to announce that the Weatherization Assistance Program will begin accepting applications starting March 1.
Virgin Islands Energy Office
The program’s goal is to help Virgin Islanders struggling to make ends meet spend less on their utility bills by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. Through the program eligible residents can have their inefficient appliances and fixtures retrofitted or replaced at no cost.  WAP is designed to help low income families invest in next generation appliances and smart solutions. These proven products have been rigorously tested to ensure that they use less energy and other valuable resources to produce similar or improved results to the items they are replacing. The program places a priority on easing the burden that households struggling to make ends meet face as they support elderly, disabled, or minor dependents; placing them at the front of the line for resource distribution.   For the 2026-2029 WAP funding cycle the maximum household income limits have been adjusted, meaning that now a family of four with a combined income of $82,000, or a family of three cumulatively earning $68,000 are eligible for WAP benefits. To apply for the WAP program please visit VIEO at our St. Croix or St. Thomas headquarters located at #2 Estate Carlton and the Nisky Center respectively and pickup an application. Once completed the applications can be turned into VIEO staff. To learn more about WAP please visit energy.vi.gov/wap and find out how the program can help you. 

2026 Spring Revenue Estimating Conference March 20

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Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Julio A. Rhymer Sr. is pleased to announce the upcoming 2026 Spring Revenue Estimating Conference, to be held at Yacht Haven Grande’s Harbor 360 on Friday, March 20, at 9 a.m. In addition to in‑person attendance, the conference will be available virtually via livestream on the Government House, Office of Management and Budget, and WTJX Facebook pages.
Office of Management and Budget — Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands
Safeguarding public trust in government institutions remains a key priority of the Bryan–Roach Administration. This commitment is reflected in its ongoing efforts to promote transparency and implement common‑sense fiscal controls. During the 2026 Spring Revenue Estimating Conference, leaders from more than a dozen Government of the Virgin Islands revenue‑generating agencies will highlight their efforts to deliver critical public services while identifying and addressing potential waste, fraud, and abuse. Presenters will also offer forward-looking revenue forecasts, providing a clear and candid assessment of the Territory’s financial outlook. Attendees can expect to hear the most current and comprehensive economic information vital to leaders and entrepreneurs who contribute to the Virgin Islands’ economy. Following the presentations, agency leaders will be available to participate in a brief question-and-answer session. For updates or additional information, visit the Office of Management and Budget website at https://omb.vi.gov. The Bryan–Roach Administration continues to invest in the Territory’s people, infrastructure, and future by promoting transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in government, and ensuring recovery projects are completed efficiently. Learn more about these efforts at https://transparency.vi.gov.

Memorial Service for Albert Paiewonsky is March 6 at Sapphire Beach

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Albert Paiewonsky is being remembered for his love and dedication to his family, his community, and the maritime world following his passing on August 25, 2025 at the age of 86.

Albert Paiewonsky
Albert Paiewonsky

Albert was born in the Dominican Republic, son of Morris and Hulda Paiewonsky. He was truly a modern-day renaissance man. Aside from being a civil engineer, charter boat captain, pilot, avid scuba diver and fisherman, he started his long career in the liquor business at A. H. Riise Liquor Store, later headed up West Indies Corporation, then founded Premier Wines & Spirits. Along the way he developed local products including Havensight Liquor and Botany Bay Rum. In addition, he served as Chairman of the Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management for several years, giving back to his community and protecting the local waters he loved so much. However, his family was always the center and orbit of his existence.

Albert is survived by his loving and dedicated wife, Marcia Paiewonsky, three children, Mark, Greg and Anna, five grandchildren, Briana, Allyson, Kathryn, Jessica and Tyler, and his three siblings, Sheila, Edgar and Irving, as well as many in-laws, cousins, and friends – too numerous to mention.

Albert was larger than life and lived to the fullest. He impacted the lives of so many others, making an indelible mark on almost everyone he met. He never missed an opportunity to create laughter, through his colorful stories, jokes, magic tricks, and special way of finding humor and making light of life. His life was well lived, filled with wisdom, compassion, passion and joy. He will be missed and remembered for many years to come.

The family invites the community to a join them for his memorial from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 6 at Sea Salt at Sapphire Beach. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Op-Ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, Part VIII: The Walker Protocol: Building Black Wealth in the Age of AI

Virgin Islands at a Crossroads is a forum focused on modernizing the Territory. This series advances Project Meridian Gateway, a plan to make the United States Virgin Islands a sovereign Digital Harbor for the AI economy, built on resilient power, trusted connectivity, and execution.

In 1905, Sarah Breedlove was a washerwoman earning $1.50 a day. By 1919, she was Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first female self-made millionaire. She did not inherit land. She did not receive a grant. She did not wait for a corporate savior.

Walker saw a need in her own community and built a business to meet it. But her real breakthrough was not just a product. It was an ownership system. She trained thousands of “Walker Agents,” Black women who earned income, learned business discipline, and circulated wealth through their households.

As we observe Black History Month, the Virgin Islands has to answer a difficult question. In the AI economy, will we show up as workers and consumers, or owners?

Because the AI economy is physical. It runs on facilities that must operate 24/7, and those facilities run on contracts: cooling, electrical maintenance, water systems, logistics, food service, and security. Contracts are where long-term wealth lives.

For too long, our development strategy has leaned on a corporate outpost model. We entice outside entities, celebrate jobs, and then watch profits flow out. That is dependency. If we want a different outcome, we have to build a different model on purpose.

If we are serious about Project Meridian Gateway and positioning the U.S. Virgin Islands as an AI-era hub, we should apply the Madam Walker philosophy to industrial strategy. I call it the Walker Protocol.

Ownership Over Employment

The Walker Protocol starts with a mindset shift: from job creation to wealth creation.

When a hyperscale data center is built in a future Digital Free Trade Zone, the headlines will focus on construction. But the durable wealth is in the thirty-year operating ecosystem: the service contracts and procurement streams that keep that facility running.

A 24/7 operation runs on checklists, audits, redundancy, and vendors who show up on time. If we do not build the Virgin Islands’ capacity to meet those standards, the contracts will default to mainland firms. They will capture the margins and leave Virgin Islanders competing for entry-level wages in an economy operating on our own land.

So the Walker Protocol is a preparation path. We must incubate, credential, and scale local businesses to meet zero-tolerance requirements. We need a “Walker Agent” strategy for the AI supply chain: pre-qualified Virgin Islands vendors ready to deploy when anchor tenants arrive.

That requires a policy upgrade. Our economic and innovation institutions must broaden their focus beyond recruiting external capital to actively equipping local entrepreneurs to compete and win. That means targeted certifications, bonding and insurance readiness, safety compliance, cybersecurity basics, and procurement literacy. Ownership is earned through capability.

This requires a playbook built around reality. Start with the standards: train and certify what operators actually require. Then make firms contract-ready: documentation, incident reporting, insurance, and bonding capacity. Where a single small vendor cannot cover a 24/7 operation, bundle teams so they can bid as one and provide reliable coverage. When the first contracts are won, reinvest. Capability has to compound.

Here is what that could look like. A local HVAC contractor on St. Croix should not be limited to “fixing AC.” With the right credentials and vendor readiness support, that firm can provide precision cooling maintenance. A local logistics operator can become a compliant partner for controlled deliveries and fleet operations tied to high-value equipment.

The Anchor Tenant Strategy

Madam Walker understood another principle: you need a strong product to anchor the ecosystem. For us, that anchor is power. No AI infrastructure happens without continuity-grade electricity. That is why the Sovereign Energy Product matters: a resilient microgrid in the South Shore Zone that can deliver reliable power.

Instead of outsourcing the work that keeps that grid running, we should build a Virgin Islands-owned energy services cooperative. This structure would allow independent technicians and small firms to pool resources, share equipment, meet bonding requirements, and bid on major contracts as one unit. It turns scattered talent into bankable capacity and keeps profit in Virgin Islands households.

Procurement should be structured to expand participation by Virgin Islands-owned enterprises that meet technical and compliance requirements, supported by mentorship and partnership pathways that transfer know-how and build track records. Standards remain non-negotiable, while capacity and ownership are deliberately built and retained inside the Territory.

Capital Formation for the Community

Walker taught a final lesson: capital is built, then compounded. Communities without capital cannot scale.

In the Virgin Islands, too many capable businesses stay small because financing treats them as high-risk. The Walker Protocol calls for modernizing our financial architecture so local firms can compete for twenty-first-century contracts.

We should explore regulated community-based lending inspired by susu traditions, alongside fintech tools that provide working capital and equipment financing. If a firm is ready to win a contract but cannot buy tools, secure a vehicle, or meet payroll while waiting on invoice cycles, we have a gap we must solve.

Just as important, we need an investment vehicle that allows Virgin Islanders, at home and in the diaspora, to acquire equity stakes in critical projects. Imagine clean-energy assets powering a data center being partially owned by a Virgin Islands trust, generating dividends for local households. That is how infrastructure becomes generational wealth.

Economic Rights are Civil Rights

Madam C.J. Walker did not treat wealth as a trophy. She used it to fund justice because she understood a hard truth: political agency is downstream from economic power.

The Virgin Islands is often forced to fight for relevance in Washington. But influence is earned. A Territory that possesses energy, controls service contracts, and holds ownership in its digital infrastructure negotiates from strength.

We have reached a generational crossroads. One path keeps us as passive hosts for external technology, grateful for wages while wealth flows away. The other path, the path of Madam Walker, calls us to become architects and owners of our destiny.

Let us stop looking for a savior. Let us build our own empire.

Read the first seven parts of the series here:

Op-ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads: Act Now or Miss the Next Global Economic Wave

Op-ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, Part II: Anchoring the AI Economy at the Digital Gateway of the Americas

Op-ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, Part III: Building the Workforce of the AI and Diversified Clean Energy Economy

Op-Ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, Part IV: Powering the Future — Transforming the Virgin Islands’ Energy Landscape

Op-Ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, Part V: The Superpower of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Why Our Strategic Location Matters Today

Op-Ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, Part VI: Project Meridian Gateway: Building America’s Digital Harbor in the United States Virgin Islands

Op-Ed: Virgin Islands at a Crossroads, Part VII: Think Different: Designing the USVI Brand for the AI Era

— Bernard Dyer is a veteran technologist and co-host of WSTX AM 970’s Community Digest radio program. He writes the Virgin Islands at a Crossroads series to challenge the status quo and design a sovereign, modern future for the next generation.

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

Stevie Leo Ashe Dies at 57

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Stevie Leo Ashe, of Estate Rattan, passed away on Feb. 19. He was 57 years old.
Stevie Leo Ashe
He is survived by his wife, Shelly Ashe; sisters, Annette Guillory (Ga), Dr. Blondell Bazil (Fl), Molly White (Fl), Barbara Jacob (St. Croix), sisters-in-law, Maureen Clarks (Gt), Simone Clarke-John (Ny), brother-in-law, Ralph White (Fl), Larry Guillory (Ga), Ferdenand Clarke (Ny), Monty Clarke (Sc); nieces, Christina White (Fl), Tholiel Soo Jacobs; nephews, Austin White (Fl), Anon Bachs, Andris Jacoll, George Tacobs, Jenetta Burnette; godchild, Samantha Jonas, Kimberley Simon, Kimbertee Simon; cousins and other relatives, Winifred Jonas & Family, Delores Merrick & Family; special friends, Septie Boyea. Funeral arrangements will be held on March 2 at Ebenezer Methodist Church. Viewing begins at 10 a.m., with service at 11 a.m. Interment will be held at Kingshill Cemetery. Professional services are entrusted to James Memorial Funeral Home, Inc.