ST. CROIX — Federal prosecutors have recommended that former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez be sentenced 24 to 30 years in prison and that his co-defendant, former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal, receive a seven-year prison sentence, following their convictions in a public corruption case tied to a $1.48 million government contract.
In separate sentencing memoranda filed Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office outlined what it described as serious, sustained abuse of public office involving bribery, fraud, and obstruction of justice connected to a contracting scheme involving government vendor David Whitaker, a known felon whose former cybersecurity company Mon Ethos Pro Support received the $1.48 million federally funded contract.
On December 11, 2025, Martinez and O’Neal were both convicted of honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Martinez was also convicted of obstruction of justice.
For Martinez, prosecutors recommend a sentence within the advisory federal sentencing guideline range of 24 years to 30 years and five months, along with a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
According to the filing, Martinez, as the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the Virgin Islands, orchestrated and led a bribery scheme in which he accepted roughly $100,000 in benefits and payments in exchange for using his position to influence government contracting decisions. Prosecutors say the conduct included luxury travel, restaurant-related benefits, tuition payments, and housing assistance.
While the initial bribe scheme focused on Martinez expediting the payment of invoices for Whitaker, the scheme eventually expanded to include authorizing and facilitating the award of a one-year contract worth up to $1.48 million. Martinez later agreed to inflated invoices that helped generate additional funds for his personal use.
Prosecutors further emphasize obstruction-related conduct, noting that Martinez directed the destruction of electronic devices, facilitated false documentation, and attempted to mislead investigators after a federal grand jury investigation began in 2024.
“The defendant corrupted the VIPD and robbed the people of the Virgin Islands,” prosecutors wrote, arguing that the conduct reflects abuse of public trust and deliberate concealment of wrongdoing.
In a separate memorandum, prosecutors recommend a seven-year prison sentence for O’Neal, along with a $100,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The recommendation falls within the advisory guideline range calculated by probation officials.
O’Neal, who served as director of the Office of Management and Budget, participated in a scheme involving inflated invoices tied to a federally funded contract administered through COVID-19 relief and other federal funding streams. The filing states she used her position to facilitate payment processing and later benefited personally from proceeds of the scheme.
The prosecution argues that O’Neal knowingly participated in discussions about structuring payments to avoid detection and continued to assist in processing funds tied to the inflated invoice even after understanding its purpose.
“The evidence established that O’Neal knowingly used the authority of her office to facilitate the movement and approval of an inflated invoice tied to a bribery scheme,” prosecutors wrote, describing her conduct as “calculated corruption.”
Both sentencing filings describe a coordinated bribery arrangement involving Martinez, O’Neal, and Whitaker, in which government contracting authority was exchanged for personal benefits. Prosecutors say the scheme involved the approval and inflation of invoices tied to a government cybersecurity and services contract, with proceeds used for personal expenses including rent, restaurant costs, and luxury goods.
The filings also describe coordinated efforts to conceal the scheme, including structuring payments and discussing methods to avoid financial tracking. In both cases, prosecutors emphasized the need for significant prison sentences to deter public corruption, particularly involving senior officials with control over public funds. They argued that corruption involving government contracting and emergency-related funding undermines public trust and damages confidence in the integrity of territorial institutions.
“Public corruption offenses are difficult to detect,” the Martinez filing states, adding that strong sentences are necessary to deter other officials from engaging in similar conduct.
Alongside its sentencing recommendations, the government is also seeking preliminary orders of forfeiture against both defendants, asking the court to impose monetary judgments equal to the proceeds it says were derived from the offenses.
In Martinez’s case, prosecutors are requesting a forfeiture money judgment of $127,870.34. The filing states the amount represents benefits and proceeds traceable to the offense conduct, including restaurant equipment purchases, construction-related expenses, travel and lodging costs, rent payments, a Kamado Joe grill, tuition payments, and additional equipment acquisitions spanning 2023 and 2024. The indictment previously placed Martinez on notice that forfeiture could include a money judgment up to $128,088.79.
In O’Neal’s case, prosecutors are seeking a forfeiture money judgment of $17,730. The government says that amount reflects bribe proceeds identified in the trial record and presentence report, including funds transmitted for lease payments tied to a restaurant.
Both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced next week in District Court on St. Thomas — Martinez on June 9 and O’Neal on June 11.
The court is not bound by the prosecution’s recommendations but must consider federal sentencing guidelines and federal statutory factors when determining final sentences.
