Vinod “Vinnie” Mohanani: A Pillar of the Virgin Islands Community Passes Away
The Virgin Islands Salsa Festival Returns to St. Croix Saturday
Government Revenues Falling Short this Fiscal Year
The government’s financial team, led by Jenifer O’Neal, director of the Office of Management and Budget, reported to the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance Thursday that revenues this fiscal year were down and that budget adjustments may be necessary in the final quarter.
O’Neal testified, “For the first seven months of the fiscal year 2024, through April 30th, revenue collections, including hotel and non-hotel taxes, totaled $537,081,652. This trend reflects a decrease of just over 4 percent compared to revenue collections for the same period in fiscal year 2023.”
She added that the team expected revenues to be $91 million less than projected revenues. However, she said no budget cuts had been considered yet. According to O’Neal, those cuts could be considered in the last quarter of the fiscal year (starting next month).
Testifiers at the hearing included Kevin McCurdy, commissioner of the Finance Department; Joel Lee, director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue; Ira Mills, tax assessor; Brent Leerdam, tax collector; Cindy Richardson, director of the Division of Personnel; and Joss Springette, chief negotiator Office of Collective Bargaining.
Most testifiers agreed that money must be pumped into local projects to increase tax revenues.
Lee said there were many construction projects in the years immediately following the 2017 hurricanes, but construction tapered off this year. However, he said some projects were coming online that would boost tax collection. The projects include tearing down and rebuilding Charlotte Amalie High School, rebuilding Arthur E. Richards School, and reconstructing the Vincent Mason Pool and Central High School.
“All major revenue categories, except real property tax, trade and excise, and gross receipts, are experiencing lower collections year over 2024 year than in fiscal year 2023, with the largest decrease occurring in corporate income tax collections at 32 percent. Property tax collections, however, have increased from the same time last year from $7.8 million to $12.6 million or 61 percent,” O’Neal said.
Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory, who chaired the committee, said this was the first time the Senate had a mid-year review of the government budget, which was mandated by recent legislation.
Two areas senators questioned the team about were employee insurance and union negotiations.
Since 2019, the government has absorbed insurance premium increases for employees and retirees, shifting the cost share from 65/35 to 73/27 government and employees. The health insurance plan covers 7,212 active government enrolled and 7,133 retirees. The Office of Collective Bargaining is negotiating with 11 bargaining units and has offered tentative dates to 80 percent of the employees with expired contracts.
Sen. Kenneth Gittens questioned when $47 million appropriated to pay retroactive pay to government employees would be paid. O’Neal said all disbursements are contingent on available funds.
Lee said the government was owed between $100 and $150 million in delinquent income tax.
Leerdam said the government was also owed more than $100 million in back property taxes. Frett-Gregory suggested that those who owe back taxes be sent a bill monthly until they catch up.
Richardson testified that over 1,000 employees are eligible now to start receiving retirement benefits.
O’Neal testified that the division has processed 682 hires and 243 separations during this fiscal year.
McCurdy said the government presently has $68 million in invoices it owes.
Sens. Donna A. Frett-Gregory, Novelle E. Francis Jr., Marvin A. Blyden, Angel L. Bolques Jr., Samuel Carriόn, Diane T. Capehart, Dwayne M. DeGraff, Ray Fonseca, Kenneth L. Gittens, Javan E. James Sr, Carla J. Joseph, and Milton E. Potter. attended the hearing.
JFL Announces Resignation of CEO Douglas Koch and Discusses Transition
It was announced on Wednesday that Chief Executive Officer Douglas Koch was resigning from his position at the Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center.
Koch, who spent two and a half years, said that his reason for resigning was due to “personal reasons” and “made the difficult decision to relocate back to the Midwest to be closer to family.”
During his tenure as CEO, Koch achieved numerous milestones, according to a press release regarding his resignation. One of which was the successful transition of patient care service from the hurricane-damaged JFL Main to the new JFL North facility.
“Through his partnerships with various organizations and individuals, Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center is well on its way to a full replacement hospital for the St. Croix community,” the press release stated.
The Source spoke with Chris Finch, chairman of the Juan F. Luis Hospital Board, on Friday, who said, “We are hiring a national search firm that specializes in hospital leadership that we’ve worked with several times before. We had a long conversation with them this morning and the board voted me to negotiate a contract for a search. This is for the fulltime replacement, and we will be announcing that we will be accepting applications within JFL for anyone who is interested in the interim.”
The interim will work alongside Koch in his remaining weeks until they find a full-time replacement in which they are hoping by October.
“These things happen in the hospital world and the operations need to go on,” said Finch.
Finch also said that the major projects going on at JFL will continue as is.
“We are very disappointed to get this news. We have looked forward to working with Doug Koch for years to come as we stabilize and expand services and build and open a new JFLH. CEO Koch recently received a stellar personnel evaluation from board members. Under his leadership, we successfully moved most hospital operations into JFL North. We were able to hire permanent nurses, thus greatly reducing our dependence on temporary travel agency staffing, and he has been building an excellent leadership and hospital team. As board and leadership, we have been looking forward to continued recruitment of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and staff for all positions that are underway. This work will continue, and we will continue the plans he has for expanded services,” he said.
In terms of finding the next CEO, Finch said, “We always hope for stability in the right person, and I think we did. When you have the right person, there’s a benefit to having that with some longevity in keeping everything moving at the correct pace. There’s always a period of the new person coming up to speed and you want to minimize those disruptions. You want to create a senior leadership team that works cohesively together because that’s the best way to move the hospital forward.”
Excessive Heat Watch Issued for Portions of Puerto Rico, USVI
Racketeering Ringleader, Two Associates Get Life Plus Years in Prison
The ringleader of a violent criminal enterprise will be spending the rest of his life behind bars, along with two of his associates, following their sentencing in St. Thomas District Court on Wednesday. Paul Girard, 36, also known as Bogus, received the harshest penalty from District Court Judge Timothy Savage with 10 concurrent life sentences.
Federal prosecutors say Girard led a criminal enterprise that conspired, robbed, murdered, kidnapped, and assaulted victims on St. Thomas and St. Croix from as early as 2015. Associates Kareem Harry, 36 — also known as Crumbull — and Tyler Eugene, 26 — also known as Lucc — were also sentenced Wednesday for their participation; the judge gave Eugene eight life sentences — seven for Harry.
U.S. Attorney Delia Smith called the penalties proof of the government’s intent to hold violent felons accountable.
“A reign of unspeakable terror was unleashed in this Territory by Girard and his enterprise. Murders, robberies, assaults, gun violence, kidnappings, all ordered by Girard while he was incarcerated. Many lives have been affected by this senseless violence, but the life sentences issued by the court send a strong message that our system of justice works, and anyone who commits these heinous crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”, Smith said in a statement issued June 5.
The top prosecutor for the U.S. Virgin Islands summarized the penalties: Girard was ordered to serve life plus 47 years, Harry to serve life plus 20 years, and Eugene to serve a life sentence plus 30 years.
Girard is described in prior news accounts as someone who began a life of crime at age 15 and who had just been released from federal detention in Puerto Rico a few days after the grand jury published its indictment in early October 2018. He was captured by authorities on St. Croix a few weeks later and surrendered without incident.
Eugene and Harry were identified as the gunmen in two fatal shootings on St. Croix; one outside a convenience store, the other near the Williams Delight Day Care Center on or about Sept. 26, 2013.
Life sentences were handed out for violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), conspiracy to use a firearm during and in violation of a federal crime of violence; murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, drug trafficking conspiracy and use of a firearm resulting in death.
Numerous criminal counts were dismissed for each defendant at sentencing. The judge also acquitted Girard, Harry and Eugene on various charges because of insufficient evidence.
Each defendant also received prison terms for other acts linked to the criminal enterprise. Girard got 20 years for Hobbs Act Robbery, 10 years for attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and 17 years for two counts of discharging a firearm during and related to federal violent crimes.
Although he was incarcerated at the time, those charges apply as part of the RICO statute, where all members face penalties for acts committed in furtherance of the enterprise.
Harry was given 20 years in addition to his life sentences on the count of assault in aid of racketeering; Eugene got 10 years tacked onto his life sentences for attempted murder in aid of racketeering.
The initial indictment that led to a lengthy prosecution began in 2018 when Girard along with Ethereal Simon and Shaquan Prentice was charged by a grand jury for a series of Hobbs Act robberies dating back to 2015. Targeted businesses included Divi Casino and Racino, Gems and Gold Corner Jewelers, Signature Jewelers, 3 G’s Jewelry & Repair — all St. Thomas jewelry stores — and an attempted robbery of the Sunny Isles Branch of Scotia Bank.
Federal prosecutors won convictions of the major players in March 2022. (link – USDOJ:
Other members of the enterprise — close to a dozen individuals — were added as superseding indictments appeared. Six have been tried and sentenced; all serving time for RICO conspiracy with one — Simon — convicted of an additional charge of money laundering.
D’Amour Finishes Strong at European Grand Prix With Olympics in Sight
George Hoheb Dies
Watch: Update on Restoration of Feeder 13
Click on the video below from the V.I. Water and Power Authority’s YouTube channel for a recap of the WAPA crews and contractors working diligently on repairing Feeder 13, the underground cable on St. Thomas, which is impacting electrical service to the eastern portion of St. Thomas and the island of St. John.
Op-Ed: Letter to the Governor Bryan Jr.: Energy Crisis
Dear Governor Bryan Jr.,
I write this letter with the greatest sense of concern for the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands. In recent weeks we have experienced an unprecedented number of power outages throughout the entire territory. As a result of these repeated outages – which have been blamed on a wide variety of issues – our people have truly suffered, businesses have been shuttered, school has been dismissed, and our community has endured untold stress and economic loss.
On April 24, 2024 you issued a State of Emergency Declaration in order to avert an energy crisis. Sir, that energy crisis has not been averted, it is here. The U.S. Virgin Islands must make full use of this emergency declaration. That said, I implore you to immediately request technical assistance from the United States Army Corps of Engineers as to the operation of our power plants and grid. By its own admission, the Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority’s current problems are clearly not only financial. There are major issues with how power is generated and distributed. Following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, I had the opportunity to participate in many meetings with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers officials as to the restoration of our power grid and I am certain this agency can provide the necessary expertise to help WAPA better manage its equipment and resources. As Governor, you are afforded extraordinary powers under a State of Emergency declaration, to include regulatory flexibility, priority access to resources and federal assistance, to include technical support. I urge you to take advantage of any direct guidance the federal government is willing to provide and immediately call upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Residents of St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix have lost all faith in WAPA. At this point, many justifiably fear we could go dark for an extended period. We have lost the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, we have entered hurricane season and our ability to effectively generate and distribute power is clearly already tenuous. The time for action is now. Thank you for your consideration in this regard. The community awaits your response. Sincerely, Samuel Carrión Senator-35th Legislature