ST. CROIX — The trial date for the federal government’s fraud case against Davidson and Sasha Charlemagne related to a Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority contract is scheduled for July 13 on St. Croix, while Darin Richardson’s sentencing hearing following his fraud conviction connected to the same contract is scheduled to take place in St. Thomas, with a date yet to be determined.
District Judge Mark Kearney, a visiting judge from Philadelphia who was recently assigned both cases, discussed the matters with counsel during telephonic conferences held via Zoom this morning.
Regarding the sentencing for Richardson, former VIHFA chief operating officer who was convicted on March 5, 2025 of five counts, including bank fraud and money laundering, Kearney asked the attorneys if they would prefer to hold the sentencing hearing on St. Thomas or St. Croix, noting the trial occurred on St. Croix. Richardson’s attorney, Darren John-Baptiste, and the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse Amaro, both agreed that venue is proper on St. Thomas because they and Richardson reside there.
READ MORE: Darin Richardson found guilty on all five counts including fraud after jury deliberates for one day
Kearney then asked which days during the week of March 23 they have available. Amaro indicated her calendar was completely open that week. John-Baptiste asked the court to consider continuing the sentencing by one month to allow for Richardson’s family, who reside on the U.S. mainland, to finalize travel arrangements. He noted they had previously purchased airline tickets for the last scheduled sentencing hearing, which was continued.
“We just need just a little additional time and so forth — one, financially, as well as planning-wise — to get everyone here for sentencing,” he said. “If the court would consider moving the sentencing back to maybe April.”
Amaro opposed any further continuance of the sentencing date. Kearney expressed concern to John-Baptiste about continuing the sentencing.
“You have to realize it’s a calendar issue for us,” he said.
John-Baptiste said the defense did not move for any continuances of the sentencing, noting the last one was done at the court’s behest.
The defendant, however, moved to continue sentencing twice.
Amaro, who filed a response today in opposition to defendant’s oral motion to continue sentencing, noted in her filing that the court initially scheduled sentencing for July 7, 2025, and the government moved for a continuance due to her previously approved leave. She indicated that the court rescheduled sentencing for July 21, 2025, but the defendant moved for a continuance, because John-Baptiste was scheduled to commence trial in a separate matter on the same date, so the court rescheduled sentencing for September 30, 2025.
John-Baptiste then moved for a 120-day delay in Richardson’s sentencing. He filed an emergency motion on September 18, 2025, seeking a 120-day continuance after a fire destroyed his office eight days earlier.
READ MORE: Attorney John-Baptiste seeks 120-day delay in Darin Richardson’s sentencing following office fire
Senior District Judge Wilma Lewis, who tried the case, granted the motion on September 20, 2025, continuing the sentencing by 122 days to January 30. The court subsequently continued the sentencing without indicating a new date.
READ MORE: Richardson sentencing delayed by VI District Court judge while visiting judge on schedule with cases
The case was then reassigned to Kearney following the expiration of Lewis’ temporary assignment to active judicial service after being recalled to perform judicial duties for a yearlong period that concluded February 16.
READ MORE: Charlemagne and Anselmi cases, Darin Richardson sentencing reassigned to visiting Judge Mark Kearney
John-Baptiste told the court that his client’s family had previously purchased airline tickets to attend the sentencing hearing.
“It’s a little reprieve now that it’s going to be on St. Thomas, but I’m just simply seeking accommodation for the sake of his family so everybody could get here,” he said.
Kearney said he would see whether he could move the sentencing to the end of the week of March 23. He told John-Baptiste that he was mindful of his concerns regarding expenses and assured the attorney he was not trying to make the matter overly punitive from a financial perspective.
“We will try to set a date certainly for the latter part of the week in St. Thomas so that, if I have to go to St. Croix, I go to St. Croix and then do this in St. Thomas and get it done,” Kearney said, indicating he would issue an order as soon as he finds out his schedule for St. Croix.
Amaro, in her response in opposition to the oral motion John-Baptiste made to continue sentencing, pointed out that the defendant was notified on February 24 that sentencing would likely occurring during the week of March 23. She stated that the defendant’s family had more than a month to make travel arrangements, depending on the specific day selected that week for sentencing. She further indicated that both parties represented during a status conference that they were available during the week of March 23.
After concluding the telephonic conference on Richardson’s sentencing, Kearney held another via Zoom to set a July 13 trial date on St. Croix for the Charlemagnes’ case.
Davidson Charlemagne and his wife, Sasha Charlemagne, of St. Croix, are charged with money laundering conspiracy and making false claims upon the United States in connection to a $4.4 million VIHFA contract for the storage of wood shipped to the territory to repair hurricane-damaged homes. Davidson Charlemagne is also charged with fraud concerning programs receiving federal funds and wire fraud.
READ MORE: Charlemagnes arraigned on new charges of false claims connected to timesheets in woodpile fraud case
Richardson was connected to the Charlemagnes’ case through his role as COO at VIHFA but stood trial alone after his case was severed. VIHFA awarded the wood storage contract to Island Services Group LLC, a company co-owned by Morris Anselmi and Kimberly McCollum. Davidson Charlemagne, who owns D&S Trucking, allegedly proposed for ISG to submit a bid to manage the wood, with D&S Trucking serving as the subcontractor.
As Richardson awaits sentencing and the Charlemagnes prepare for trial, Anselmi and McCollum have been charged in a separate matter for allegedly defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.
Anselmi and McCollum are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy and making false statements to the SBA and a financial institution. McCollum is also charged with wire fraud and mail fraud. They allegedly siphoned a portion of the loan proceeds into McCollum’s personal bank account and submitted applications to the SBA for forgiveness of the loans, falsely claiming the funds had been used for authorized purposes. Attorneys for Anselmi and McCollum indicated during a calendar call on December 16, 2025 that the parties were close to reaching a plea agreement.
READ MORE: Attorneys close to plea deal in Morris Anselmi, Kimberly McCollum fraud case involving PPP loans
The government granted Anselmi immunity from prosecution in the Charlemagnes’ case in exchange for his testimony, though prosecutors may expand that immunity agreement to include his own PPP fraud case.
READ MORE: Government may broaden Anselmi’s immunity agreement to resume witness testimony in Charlemagne case
A telephonic conference between Kearney and all counsel in the PPP fraud case is set for Wednesday to address final scheduling for resolving the matter.
