ST. CROIX — After their recent convictions on all counts following a weeklong public corruption trial, the court has scheduled separate sentencing dates in June 2026 for former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez and former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal.
On December 11, Martinez and O’Neal were convicted of participating in a scheme involving honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and in Martinez’s case, obstruction of justice.
Judge Mark Kearney, who presided over the trial, issued an order Wednesday scheduling sentencing for Martinez at 9 a.m. on June 9, 2026. He scheduled O’Neal’s sentencing for 9 a.m. on June 11, 2026. Both sentencing hearings are scheduled in District Court on St. Thomas. These dates are slightly different than the likely sentencing date of June 10, 2026 that Kearney related after the verdict.
The parties shall exchange copies of all documents at the same time each provides them to the U.S. Probation Office for preparation of the Presentence Investigation Report, according to the order. All objections to the PIR must be sent to the probation officer in advance of sentencing.
Martinez and O’Neal were both given deadlines to file and serve sentencing memoranda setting forth any factual and legal authority upon which they will rely at sentencing, as well as pending motions, including motions for preliminary order of forfeiture as to the defendant, if any, and those under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
For Martinez, the documents must be filed between May 26 and June 2, 2026. Any response to sentencing memoranda must be filed no later than June 5, 2026.
For O’Neal, the documents must be filed between May 27 and June 3, 2026. Any response to sentencing memoranda must be filed no later than June 8, 2026.
If a defendant is responsible for restitution, the government must submit sufficient information in its sentencing memorandum to enable the court to determine entitlement, the name and the address of each victim, the amount of loss for each victim, and documentary support for each amount. If liability for restitution is joint and several, the government shall itemize the restitution amount for which each defendant is responsible.
One copy of each sentencing memorandum, motion, and response shall be served on the court and the U.S. Probation Office.
Martinez and O’Neal each face significant statutory penalties, including terms of imprisonment and fines.
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The prosecution proved during trial that Martinez accepted nearly $100,000 in bribe payments from contractor David Whitaker, a cooperating government witness who owned a cybersecurity company called Mon Ethos Pro Support that provided services to the Virgin Islands Police Department. Martinez then used his official authority to approve invoices and award Whitaker a $1.4 million contract funded by federal dollars.
O’Neal, in her capacity as OMB director, knowingly approved a $70,000 inflated invoice under that same contract and later accepted a $17,730 lease payment for her business, Java Grande, using federal funds from the inflated invoice, according to evidence presented at trial.
Whitaker, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bribery last year, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2026.
