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Press Release

Puerto Rico Resident Sentenced To 33 Months In Prison For Conspiracy To Possess With Intent To Distribute Cocaine

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Virgin Islands

St. Thomas, USVI - District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez today sentenced Stephen Torres of Puerto Rico to 33 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.

Torres, 27, was arrested as part of the investigation of Roberto Tapia, former Director of the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Division of Environmental Enforcement. On November 7, 2013, Torres was charged in a 69-count third superseding indictment, along with seven other defendants, including former Virgin Islands Police Department Sergeant Angelo Hill, Raymond Brown, Hector Alcenio, Angel Negron-Beltran, Eddie Lopez-Lopez, Walter Hill, and Edwin Monsanto. On January 29, 2014, Torres pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Public Corruption Task Force, which comprises the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Virgin Islands Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); United States Coast Guard; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly B. Lake and Kim Lindquist prosecuted the case.

Updated June 22, 2015