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Crime/Police

Kadeem Maynard Gets 4.75 years for conspiring to Transport Cocaine through the BVI

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Former BVI Premier Andrew Fahie’s cocaine smuggling and money laundering trial set for January 18

Kadeem Maynard, who was arrested along with former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie in 2022 on drug trafficking and money laundering charges, has been sentenced to 57 months in jail.

Judge Kathleen Williams sentenced the 32-year-old Tortola resident to 4.75 years on Monday, November 20, in a Miami Federal Court in the United States.

In June, Maynard, also known as “Blacka”, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to import cocaine in a Miami federal court. He struck a plea deal with federation prosecutors to avoid serving 10 years to life and a maximum fine of $10 million.

At his sentencing, he was also ordered to comply with all special conditions listed in the plea deal, including paying a special assessment fee of $100 and five years of supervised release. On completion of his sentence, he will be deported from the United States.

Maynard claimed that he played a minor role in the alleged scheme involving smuggling narcotics and potentially weapons through the BVI.

Through his legal representation, he acknowledged introducing his mother to the Drug Enforce Administration (DEA) agent, posing as a representative of a drug cartel. He told the court that he lacked the authority to move the alleged smuggling scheme through various levels of government.

But federal prosecutors countered that Maynard was captured on audio evidence recorded by the undercover agent boasting about a long history of drug smuggling, and allegedly requesting partial payment in significant amounts of cocaine.

The DEA affidavit stated that the informant posing as a representative of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel to the United States mainland met with Maynard and her son Kadeem in March 2022 on Tortola and St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.

The discussion focused on using the territory’s ports to ship thousands of kilos of cocaine from Colombia to Miami and New York via Puerto Rico; each kilogram would be sold for between US$26,000 and US$38,000.

And for looking the other way, they would receive a percentage of the monies made from the sale of the narcotics. According to court documents, the ex-Ports  Authority Managing Director explained the payouts will be hidden in shell companies and she would easily process the paperwork “so you can come into the territory for a couple days, and then move on.” While Fahie agreed to the arrangement for ten percent of the proceeds.

“You see my premier, he’s a little crook sometimes,” Maynard told the DEA confidential source, according to the affidavit.

Pickering Maynard and Fahie were arrested at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport in Florida on April 28, 2022, while Kadeem Maynard was detained in St Thomas, United States Virgin Islands and later deported to the United States mainland.

The trio were charged with conspiring to import more than five kilos of cocaine into the United States and conspiring to launder $700,000.

But while Fahie, the former First Electoral District Representative and chairman of the Virgin Islands Party, was granted one million dollars bail – $500,000 cash and $500,00 surety – and lives in his daughters’ two-bedroom apartment in Florida with an ankle monitor, the Maynards have remained in Federal Detention Center in Miami since their arrest which made global headlines.

The 61-year-old Pickering Maynard, who also struck a deal with the prosecution to avoid a lengthy sentence and hefty fine, is on file to be sentenced on January 18 – the same day former BVI Premier Fahie’s cocaine smuggling and money laundering trial is set to start.

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Crime/Police

BVI Police Make Strides in Robbery and Property Crime Investigations

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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.

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Crime/Police

Drew Farrell Charged With Manslaughter in Virgin Gorda Stabbing

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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.

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Crime/Police

Oleanvine Maynard Released from U.S. Federal Custody After Serving Less Than Two Years

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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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