ST. THOMAS — An ongoing federal investigation has resulted in the resignation of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal, according to Governor Albert Bryan Jr.
Bryan, while briefly discussing the federal probe along with Attorney General-nominee Gordon Rhea during a press conference today at Government House on St. Thomas, said he requested for the resignations of O’Neal and Police Commissioner Ray Martinez.
The governor said he received a resignation letter from O’Neal. He said he has not yet named an acting OMB director.
Bryan said he has not yet received Martinez’s resignation. He said, however, that Assistant Police Commissioner Mario Brooks has been appointed as acting police commissioner.
The governor’s statement about the status of Martinez’s employment with the Virgin Islands Police Department differed from information provided a day earlier by the Government House spokesperson.
Richard Motta Jr., Government House communications director, confirmed via text message with WTJX on Sunday that the governor had accepted Martinez’s resignation in adherence to the administration’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption to ensure the integrity of the territory’s law enforcement efforts because Martinez is implicated in an ongoing federal investigation.
READ MORE: “Police Commissioner Ray Martinez resigns after being implicated in ongoing federal investigation.”
Despite the governor’s request for resignations, Rhea clarified that O’Neal and Martinez have not been charged with anything.
“They have not been indicted,” he said. “What they’ve been asked to do is to provide information, documents, cellphones, that sort of thing, and this is common in any investigation. So, with respect to them, I say, ‘let's see where things go.’”
Bryan said Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White has also been asked to provide information as part of the federal investigation. The governor said White has not resigned, and he has not asked him to resign.
“This is a recent development, so we’re looking into what his exposure may be,” Bryan said.
The governor said he is not aware of any other government officials involved in the federal investigation.
“My administration is cooperating fully with our federal partners as they investigate this matter,” he said.
Rhea, after discussing his experience working as an assistant U.S. attorney in both Washington, D.C. and the Virgin Islands, said he has informed U.S. Attorney Delia Smith that the VI Department of Justice is ready to join in the federal investigation to help in any manner deemed appropriate.
“And we will do our own investigations ourselves because if we can root out any corruption, then we’ve done what we want to do,” he said.
Rhea said if the VIDOJ finds proof of corruption, he would like to know when and how it happened in addition to determining what systems could be put in place to prevent it in the future.
Bryan discussed a training program centered around ethics and conflict of interest the Division of Personnel began developing on Monday. He said the program is being led by Personnel Director Cindy Richardson, adding that the intention is to roll out the program to all government agencies.
“In this current situation that we’re in, I think the training program by Personnel is crucial,” the governor said. “And we’re going to have to speed it up given the sense of urgency and importance of all the things that are going on right now.”
Bryan said he has also asked Inspector General Delia Thomas to investigate the maintenance contracts associated with indictments the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced last week.
Davidson Charlemagne, VI Department of Education Maintenance director, 50, and his wife, Sasha Charlemagne, 44, both of St. Croix, were arrested after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging them with government program fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, Smith announced last Thursday.
Darin Richardson, former VI Housing Finance Authority chief operating officer, 56, of St. Thomas, is charged in the indictment with criminal conflict of interest and making materially false statements.
According to court documents, the charges stem from a two-year investigation involving a VIHFA contract for storage and management of wood that was shipped to the territory to be used for the reconstruction of commercial and residential buildings following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated in a press release.
Bryan acknowledged that the IG’s office is inundated with work, noting that he would consider identifying more resources for the office if needed. He said he has also pledged an additional $1 million to support Rhea in the investigation of white-collar crimes.
Senator Marvin Blyden, in a statement issued today, expressed his “outrage and concern” regarding the recent revelations of “corruption by public officials.” The senator lamented the impact that misuse of funds or resources has on the public, both in terms of services not delivered and of erosion of public trust.
“Let me state from the outset that I have no comment on any of the specific allegations that have been made, as these are matters that the investigators and the courts will handle,” Blyden said in a statement. “However, I must confess that the events of the last couple days, and what they imply about the depths and the breadth of potential abuse, make me angry and embarrassed as a Virgin Islander. It is clear that as a government and as a people, we must take immediate action to not only thoroughly investigate and prosecute present instances of corruption, but we must also put the necessary safeguards in place to ensure a more transparent and efficient process moving forward.”
Blyden stressed the need to develop a culture of “integrity and accountability” in the Virgin Islands.
“When significant numbers of public officials are implicated in wrongdoing, it is not just an indictment of a few individuals,” he stated. “It reflects on our entire society, and it means that as a government and as a people we need to clean up our act.”
Blyden emphasized the fact that every dollar abused or misspent has real-life consequences in the lives of Virgin Islanders who depend on the government doing what it is supposed to do. He said stolen or misappropriated funds are not just numbers on paper. He said the funds represent homeowners still waiting to have their homes rebuilt after the hurricanes of 2017, people waiting on services they need to save their lives, vendors waiting on overdue payments that make the difference in remaining in business, and children waiting to see their school rebuilt while struggling in substandard conditions.
“It angers me to see people suffering while we read reports of people enriching themselves on the public purse,” Blyden stated. “It has to stop!”
Bryan responded to questions from reporters about Mon Ethos, a company that has been linked to the federal investigation.
Senator Franklin Johnson told WTJX on Sunday that he questioned Martinez under subpoena in a Senate hearing on January 31 about the police department’s contract for traffic and security cameras with Mon Ethos, which he noted is part of the federal investigation.
Bryan said Mon Ethos has cameras operating in public, noting that the government has used Mon Ethos to monitor carnival festivities. He said the cameras were used to immediately apprehend a murder suspect on St. Thomas. He said the government has been using Mon Ethos on St. Croix as well.
“I'm not aware of any permanent camera contracts to the best of my knowledge that they have,” Bryan said. “Most of our contracts with this company were about digital surveillance and being able to track information over the internet and phones and other digital devices.”
Bryan said his administration is already reviewing all the contracts it has with Mon Ethos, noting that he requested every purchase order the company has completed. He said Mon Ethos recently won a contract with the VI Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation, clarifying a notice to proceed has not yet been issued. He said he was advised this morning about a contract Mon Ethos had with the VI Department of Education, adding that he didn’t know any details of the contract. He said the bid documents will be reviewed for both contracts.
“But right now, I can’t speak to Mon Ethos being indicted or in any other thing, so as long as there was a procurement process that was followed, and that the contract is in place fairly and squarely, I don’t think we have any grounds to stop the contract,” Bryan said.
Note: O’Neal served as a member of the board of directors for the Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System, which operates WTJX-TV and WTJX-FM, up until her resignation. The OMB director serves as a member of the board per the Virgin Islands Code, Title 30, Chapter 7, Section 201(a).
