Crime/Police
Former BVI Premier Andrew Fahie Drug Trial Starts
Almost twenty-four months after his apprehension at Miami Airport in the United States, the cocaine smuggling and money laundering trial of former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie started on Monday, January 29.
In April 2022, Fahie along with Oleanvine Pickering Maynard, the Managing Director of BVI Ports Authority, and her son, Kadeem Stephan Maynard, were arrested during a sting operation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The trio was charged with conspiring to traffic cocaine and launder money by facilitating the secure passage of substantial quantities of Colombian cocaine through BVI ports destined for Miami.
The Maynard duo entered into an arrangement with federal authorities, pledging to provide testimony against Andrew Fahie.
In November 2023, Kadeem received a federal prison sentence of nearly five years for his involvement in a cocaine trafficking operation. Currently, his mother is in federal custody awaiting her sentencing day in court.
During the court proceedings on Monday, Fahie’s attorney Theresa Van Vliet filed a motion aimed at restricting prosecutors from introducing any evidence extracted from her client’s phone.
She contended that the material in question included personal health information about Fahie’s relatives, which she argued is irrelevant to the case.
Additionally, Van Vliet raised concerns about whether the Government of the British Virgin Islands had been consulted to address and resolve potential confidentiality or privacy issues related to the evidence.
The submitted evidence encompassed correspondence between Fahie and BVI Police Commissioner Mark Collins, as well as Fahie’s assistant and building contractor.
In December 2023, the prosecution submitted a comprehensive list of exhibits, encompassing recordings of phone conversations and meetings involving Fahie and the Maynards.
The prosecution plans to present data extracted from several of Fahie’s devices, such as a Note 10+ mobile phone and a Surface tablet.
Judge Kathleen Williams has not yet rendered a decision on the defence motion.
The prosecution’s case is that Fahie and the Maynards stood to gain millions, with the funds strategically routed through various businesses and bank accounts to obscure their origin.
The criminal complaint affidavit said they engaged in a sequence of meetings during March and April of 2022 with an alleged drug trafficker to finalise the illicit deal.
The affidavit contends that Fahie and Oleanvine Maynard were responsible for obtaining necessary licences, ensuring the concealment of cocaine-laden vessels within BVI ports, and discreetly influencing a potentially troublesome government official.
Discussions reportedly included plans to conduct a trial run involving 3,000 kilograms of cocaine through a BVI port, followed by subsequent shipments of similar quantities once or twice a month over four months.
The alleged compensation for Fahie and O. Maynard was tied to a percentage of the proceeds from the cocaine sales, totaling millions of dollars.
While the Maynards remained in federal custody, in May 2022, Fahie was granted $500,000 bail, a move contested by prosecutors who contended that his release posed a flight risk, coupled with the potential for engaging in illicit activities upon regaining freedom.
The terms of his bail dictated that the former premier remained in Miami, restricted to the leased residence of his two college-aged daughters.
A man believed to be mentally challenged was apprehended yesterday, May 8, for allegedly breaking and entering. While it is unclear whose property was involved or when the incident occurred, a voice in the video of the encounter is heard saying, “You hungry, ask for food, you don’t break into people’s houses.”
JTV understands that the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force has been made aware of the matter. Further details will be provided as they become available.
A 22-year-old man has been charged in connection with a late-night shooting outside a popular nightclub in Free Bottom. Following reports of gunfire in the area on Monday, April 28, 2024, officers arrested Jamari Scatliffe of John’s Hole, who now faces charges of possession of a firearm with intent to put another in fear, unlawful possession of explosives, and attempted robbery.
According to initial reports, officers responded to the scene shortly after 1:45 a.m., where two masked individuals allegedly approached a group near the nightclub, prompting one person to flee inside. The masked assailants then fired several rounds before escaping.
A subsequent search of the area recovered eight spent shell casings, including five .223 caliber and three .40 caliber rounds.
Acting Commissioner of Police Jacqueline Vanterpool commended the swift action by officers, stressing the department’s commitment to public safety.
“Gun violence has no place in our community,” Vanterpool said. “The swift action by officers to investigate and bring charges in this matter reflects our continued commitment to ensuring public safety. We thank those who have already come forward and continue to urge anyone with information to do the right thing.”
The RVIPF is encouraging anyone with information related to this or other crimes to contact the RVIPF Intelligence Unit at 368-9339, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 800-8477 or from overseas at (284) 800-8477.
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Erick Rabsatt, the 24-year-old man wanted in connection with the December 2021 fatal shooting of Jaimez A. Stoutt in the British Virgin Islands, is reportedly in custody in the United States Virgin Islands.
A source close to the matter has confirmed that Rabsatt is currently being held in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and is awaiting processing to be extradited to the British Virgin Islands to face charges in the case. No official statements have yet been released by authorities in either jurisdiction regarding the detention.
Stoutt, 31, was shot and killed inside Crystal’s Nightclub in Free Bottom, Tortola, on December 11, 2021. He was transported to Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital, where he later died. The incident occurred in the early morning hours and was followed by a police investigation that identified Rabsatt as the primary suspect. An arrest warrant was issued, and authorities launched a manhunt that extended across both the British and United States Virgin Islands.
Stoutt was a former U.S. Army soldier who served in Afghanistan in 2011. After returning to the British Virgin Islands, he worked at CCT Global Communications before founding his own landscaping business, Military Cutz. He was also known for his involvement in local basketball leagues.
Following the incident, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force issued appeals to the public for assistance in locating Rabsatt and circulated his photo throughout the region.
Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
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