Crime/Police
Former Premier Andrew Fahie Bail Conditions Relaxed

The court has relaxed the bail conditions for former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie, who is currently on drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering charges in the United States, to allow him to visit a dentist and to travel to his lawyer’s office to discuss sensitive matters for his upcoming trial.
Earlier this month, Fahie’s lawyer Theresa Van Vliet successfully petitioned the court to adjust the bail order so that her client can travel 45 minutes to her Ft. Lauderdale office to have meetings, no more than three times a week, and to seek dental healthcare.
Fahie is currently on one million dollars bail – $500,000 cash and $500,00 surety – and is living in his two daughters’ two-bedroom apartment in Florida.
He also wears an ankle monitor and he and his daughters had to surrender their passports as part of the bail agreement. They attend online classes.
Van Vliet spent the last few months travelling to Fahie’s house to prepare his defence.
The former First Electoral District Representative and chairman of the Virgin Islands Party, was arrested on April 28, 2022 by Drug Enforcement Administration Agents (DEA) at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.
Fahie, along with Ports Authority Director Oleanvine Maynard and her son Kadeem Maynard, are charged with conspiring to import more than five kilos of cocaine into the United States and conspiring to launder $700,000. The female Maynard was arrested in Florida, while her son was detained in St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. The Maynards are both still in federation custody awaiting trial.
Fahie, a former mathematics teacher, was first elected as District One representative in 1999 at the age of 28, a seat he has held continuously for 23 years. As a member of the VIP government, he has served as Minister for Health, Education and Welfare from 2000 to 2003 and Minister for Education and Culture from 2007 to 2011.
In 2016, Fahie became leader of the VIP and three years later, on February 25th, 2019, he led his party to victory in the general election, breaking the National Democratic Party’s winning streak. VIP won eight of 13 elected seats in the House of Assembly.
In November 2022, he resigned as chairman of the party and from Virgin Islands politics.
Crime/Police
BVI Police Make Strides in Robbery and Property Crime Investigations

A crackdown on violent crime in the British Virgin Islands has led to multiple arrests and the seizure of illegal firearms and ammunition, authorities announced Friday, March 28.
In a series of targeted search operations, police recovered a semi-automatic handgun and dozens of rounds of ammunition, marking a significant step in the fight against armed robberies and property crimes across the territory.
As part of the ongoing investigations, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) conducted a series of search operations on March 25 at five properties linked to suspects in recent armed robberies. Officers recovered a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol and 41 rounds of assorted ammunition.
Authorities detained eight individuals in connection with the raids. Three were released after questioning, while five have been formally charged.
Ernest Jacobs, 59, Prynce Jacobs, 19, and a 16-year-old male, all of Josiah’s Bay, have been charged with keeping an unlicensed firearm and two counts of unlawful possession of explosives. A 14-year-old male of Purcell Estate has been charged with two counts of robbery. Ravie Joseph, 43, of Josiah’s Bay, has been charged with overstaying a landing permit.
The charges stem from separate robbery incidents on Tortola on March 3. Police had previously charged and remanded another minor in connection with the same crimes.
Acting Commissioner of Police Jacqueline Vanterpool lauded officers for their work and underscored the importance of removing illegal weapons from the streets.
“The removal of illegal firearms and ammunition from our communities is a critical step in reducing the threat of violence and protecting innocent lives,” Vanterpool said in a statement. “To date, a total of nine illegal firearms and more than 300 rounds of ammunition have been recovered as part of our intensified operations. We remain resolute in our mission to disrupt criminal networks and bring offenders to justice.”
Authorities continue to urge residents to come forward with any information that may aid ongoing investigations. Tips can be submitted to the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9339 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 800-8477, or internationally at (284) 800-8477.
Crime/Police
Drew Farrell Charged With Manslaughter in Virgin Gorda Stabbing

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) have charged Drew Farrell, 42, of The Valley, Virgin Gorda, in connection with a fatal stabbing that claimed the life of Rasheel Thomas Alexander.
Farrell who remains in police custody is expected to appear before the Magistrate’s Court in the coming days.
The charge follows an ongoing investigation into the stabbing incident, which has drawn significant public attention. Police have not yet disclosed details surrounding the circumstances of the attack.
Authorities are urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward. Tips can be provided to the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9339, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800-8477. International callers can reach Crime Stoppers at (284) 800-8477.
Crime/Police
Oleanvine Maynard Released from U.S. Federal Custody After Serving Less Than Two Years

Oleanvine Maynard, the former director of the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority, was released from federal custody in the United States on Friday, having served just under two years of her nine-year sentence for drug-related offences.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed that she is no longer listed as “In Custody” but provided no explanation for the March 21 early release.
Maynard, 63, had been serving her sentence at the Baltimore Residential Reentry Management Centre (RRM) following her conviction in June 2023 for her involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy orchestrated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Her son, Kadeem Stephan Maynard, 33, who was convicted alongside her, is also due for release soon—on 6th April. Currently held at the Miami Federal Detention Centre (FDC), Kadeem was sentenced to 57 months but will serve just over two years, having pleaded guilty in 2023.
The mother and son duo had struck a deal with the DEA to secure reduced sentences. However, the exact circumstances surrounding their early release remain unclear.
In the U.S. federal system, sentence reductions are not uncommon and can occur for a variety of reasons, including significant assistance with ongoing investigations or participation in rehabilitative programmes.
The female Maynard was the star witness in the prosecutions’ case against former Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Alturo Fahie, convicted in February 2024 on charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and money laundering.
Yet, without official confirmation from authorities, the precise nature of Maynard’s release remains speculative.
Meanwhile, Fahie remains incarcerated at Jesup Federal Correctional Institution (FCI). His release date is set for May 30, 2033, and his case continues to attract global attention.
As Oleanvine Maynard prepares to reintegrate into society, public interest turns to what her next steps will be and how her return will be received.
Maynard, her son Kadeem, and ex-Premier Fahie were arrested in April 2022 during a U.S. DEA sting operation in Miami, Florida. The case stemmed from an undercover investigation in which DEA agents, posing as members of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel, approached the officials with an offer to facilitate the trafficking of thousands of kilograms of cocaine through the British Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland.
Testimony from the agents revealed that Fahie and the Maynards had agreed to assist in the drug shipments in exchange for bribes amounting to millions of dollars. Court documents also disclosed that Oleanvine Maynard was happy to play a central role in the operation, referring to the opportunity as her “blessing.”
The arrests raised serious concerns about government corruption and links to drug trafficking within the territory, a region heavily dependent on tourism.
Oleanvine Maynard’s early release continues to stir debate both within the territory and internationally.
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