ST. CROIX — The convictions of former Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White and his co-defendant on Friday — following a four-day federal bribery trial in District Court on St. Thomas — “show that even high-ranking government officials will be held accountable for engaging in criminal misconduct,” Acting U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper said in a statement.
“No one is above the law,” Sleeper said in a statement issued Friday, adding that the “community deserves better.”
White, 49, and 62-year-old Benjamin Hendricks, a government contractor, were found guilty of honest services wire fraud and federal programs bribery.
“Public corruption erodes the very fabric of our society,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Devin Kowalski said in a statement. “The community deserves honesty and integrity from public officials. The FBI follows the facts no matter where they lead.”
Kowalski emphasized the bureau’s mission “to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States.”
“Every person in the Virgin Islands is included in that promise,” Kowalski stated. “I want to thank our dedicated FBI agents and personnel here in the Virgin Islands who worked relentlessly on this investigation as well as our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office and the Public Integrity Section.”
Evidence presented at trial showed that White solicited and accepted a bribe from former government contractor David Whitaker, using Hendricks as an intermediary, the release stated. The scheme began in at least December 2023 and continued until the defendants were approached in June 2024.
According to the DOJ, in exchange for the bribe, White agreed to help Whitaker secure a $1.6 million contract with the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation. Among other acts, he provided confidential bid information to Whitaker and took official action to favor awarding the contract. Hendricks served as a middleman for the payments and facilitated the bribery scheme.
As the trial concluded, two other former government officials charged in a related bribery scheme are awaiting trial.
Former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez and former Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal allegedly accepted bribes from Whitaker, founder of the cybersecurity firm Mon Ethos Pros Support who also operated a subsidiary of MEPS called Office of Data Discovery Forensic Analysis. They pleaded not guilty to various charges during their January 10 arraignment along with White and Hendricks. They are scheduled for a status conference at 10 a.m. on September 2 in District Court on St. Thomas.
With the convictions of White and Hendricks now secured, sentencing will be determined by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Honest services wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and federal programs bribery carries up to 10 years.
The case was investigated by the FBI San Juan Field Office, St. Thomas Resident Agency. Trial Attorneys Alexandre Dempsey and Lina Peng, of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Conley for the District of the Virgin Islands are prosecuting the case.
Member of the public with information on federal crimes can submit anonymous tips via 1-800-CALL-FBI or at tips.fbi.gov.
