Home San Juan Press Releases 2010 Two VIPD Officers and a Local Man Guilty of Obstruction of Justice, Extortion, Bribery, and Other Charges...
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Two VIPD Officers and a Local Man Guilty of Obstruction of Justice, Extortion, Bribery, and Other Charges

U.S. Attorney’s Office February 01, 2010
  • District of the Virgin Islands (340) 774-5757

A Virgin Islands police captain, a police sergeant, and a local man were convicted on January 29, 2010 by a federal jury in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands for participating in an extortion conspiracy, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe of the District of the Virgin Islands announced. Joining U.S. Attorney Sharpe in the announcement were Luis Fraticelli, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent-in-Charge for the Virgin Islands; Javier F. Pena, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-in-Charge for the Virgin Islands; Acting United States Marshal for the Virgin Islands Reginald Bradshaw; Daniel W. Auer, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS CID) Special Agent-in-Charge for the Virgin Islands; David Collins, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Inspector-in-Charge for the Virgin Islands; and Virgin Islands Police Commissioner Novelle Francis.

Virgin Islands Police Captain Enrique Saldana, 46, Virgin Islands Police Sergeant George Greene, Jr., 33, and Louis Roldan, Jr. were found guilty of the federal charges of conspiracy to commit extortion and extortion, and the Virgin Islands charges of conspiratorial extortion, extortion under color of official right, conflict of interest, and solicitation and receipt of a bribe.

“This is the result of the hard work and dedication of the public corruption task force, which includes Virgin Islands police officers and federal law enforcement agents,” U.S. Attorney Sharpe said. “With the consistent cooperation of the Virgin Islands Police Department and community, we will continue to fully investigate and prosecute public corruption wherever it may be found.”

“It is a sad day when those sworn to uphold the law are found guilty of breaking it,” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Luis Fraticelli said. “However, the strength and courage of those U.S. Virgin Islands police officers who choose to fight against corruption should not be overshadowed by the crimes of a few. The majority of honest, hardworking police officers should continue to be a source of pride and encouragement for all the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the defendants’ criminal conduct began on or about December 4, 2008, when Virgin Islands police officers seized a rental vehicle from the Paul M. Pearson Housing Community (PMP) on St. Thomas. In addition to seizing the vehicle, the officers confiscated all of its contents, including personal items belonging to the individual using the vehicle at the time (hereafter the “Individual”) and approximately one kilogram of a substance believed by the police to be a controlled substance.

According to the indictment, on or about December 5, 2008, when the Individual and the person in whose name the car was rented went to the police to retrieve the confiscated items, they were instructed by a police official to contact Defendant Saldana. The police official also told the Individual that the police knew what was in the car, referring to the substance suspected to be a controlled substance. On that same day, the Individual received a telephone call from Defendant Saldana about arranging a meeting for the return of the confiscated items. The Individual did not meet with Defendant Saldana at that time. On or about December 18, 2008, Defendant Roldan contacted the Individual and told the Individual that for the payment of $10,000 cash, the substance believed to be a controlled substance by the police would not be turned over to law enforcement, and the Individual would not be reported to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force, or the DEA. The Individual had other telephone conversations with Defendants Greene and Roldan regarding the return of the confiscated items. Many of the telephone calls were recorded.

On or about December 23, 2008, the Individual met with Defendant Roldan at an agreed upon location, and Defendants Saldana and Greene also appeared at the meeting in separate vehicles. The Individual discussed with Defendants Greene and Roldan arrangements for the payment of cash with respect to the confiscated items. Subsequently, the Individual and Defendant Roldan engaged in further telephone conversations regarding the amount of money that the Individual would pay with respect to the controlled substance. Ultimately, it was agreed that the Individual would pay $5,000 cash, and it would be paid in the Frenchtown area of St. Thomas. In the evening of December 23, 2008, the Individual met Defendants Roldan and Greene in the Frenchtown area of St. Thomas and paid them $5,000.00 cash. In exchange, the Individual received the items confiscated from the rental vehicle except the controlled substance, which was not returned to the Individual. For the payment of the $5,000 cash, the Individual was assured that the controlled substance seized from the rental vehicle would not be turned over to federal law enforcement authorities.

The public corruption task force comprises the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, IRS CID, the USPIS, and Virgin Islands Police Department. U.S. Attorney Sharpe asks that anyone who has information related to public corruption call the task force at (340) 715-6516.

The three men face a maximum of 20 years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine as to each of the two federal charges for which they were convicted; and a maximum of five years' imprisonment and a $5,000 fine on each of the four Virgin Islands charges.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kim R. Lindquist and Nolan D. Paige.

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