ST. THOMAS – The sentencing of Darin Richardson has been rescheduled for January 30, 2026, after his attorney Darren John-Baptiste filed a motion to continue the sentencing due to a fire that destroyed his office and residence earlier this month.
Richardson, the former chief operating officer of the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, was previously set to be sentenced on September 30 in District Court on St. Croix, after being convicted of criminal conflict of interest, material false statement, false statement on loan and credit applications, bank fraud, and money laundering in March of this year. The charges stem from his tenure at VIHFA and his involvement in a multi-million-dollar lumber management contract awarded to Island Services Group LLC.
In an emergency motion filed on September 18, attorney John-Baptiste sought a 120-day delay in the sentencing stating that he “wishes to be at his best mentally to adequately represent” his client.
Senior District Judge Wilma Lewis signed the order continuing the sentencing on September 20, just ten days after a predawn fire ripped through the building that housed both Jean-Baptiste’s residence and office.
The January 30 sentencing hearing is set to begin at 9:30 am before Judge Lewis at District Court on St. Croix.