ST. CROIX — The sentencing of former Housing Finance Authority Chief Operating Officer Darin Richardson following his federal conviction last March on multiple counts including bank fraud and money laundering has been continued by the court without a new date.
On March 5, 2025, a District Court jury found Richardson guilty on all five counts, including a local charge of criminal conflict of interest and four federal charges — bank fraud, money laundering, making a materially false statement, and making a false statement on loan and credit applications.
Richardson’s sentencing was scheduled for September 30, 2025 in Senior District Judge Wilma Lewis’ courtroom but his attorney, Darren John-Baptiste, filed an emergency motion on September 18, 2025 for a continuance of 120 days after a fire destroyed his office eight days earlier. Lewis granted the motion on September 20, 2025, continuing the sentencing by 122 days to January 30.
READ MORE: Darin Richardson found guilty on all five counts including fraud after jury deliberates for one day
However, on January 28 the court continued the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 30 without indicating a new date.
Glenda Lake, clerk of court, was unable to discuss why Richardson’s sentencing was continued without a new date.
“The court speaks through its docket,” she said. “We don’t comment on pending cases.”
While this high-profile case lags, a visiting judge from Philadelphia, District Judge Mark Kearney, has moved two other highly publicized cases involving four defendants that began after Richardson’s guilty verdict.
Kearney presided over the case of former Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White and his co-defendant, government contractor Benjamin Hendricks, owner of A Clean Environment USVI LLC. They were both found guilty on July 25, 2025 of honest services wire fraud and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds after a five-day jury trial.
On January 22, Kearney sentenced both White and Hendricks. John-Baptiste, who represents Richardson, also represented Hendricks.
While Kearney was able to preside over the trial of White and Hendricks and sentence them in about six months, he also presided over the trial of the government corruption case against former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez and former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal, both of whom were convicted on all counts following a weeklong jury trial on December 11, 2025. They were found guilty of honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Martinez was also convicted of obstruction of justice. Kearney set Martinez’s sentencing for June 9 and O’Neal’s for June 11.
The delay in Richardson’s sentencing comes as Lewis’ one-year recall period is set to end after she elected to take senior status last year. The period is scheduled to end on February 16, according to a press release issued last year. Despite this timeframe, Lewis has a hearing scheduled on May 4 that was just scheduled in December.
