Feb. 14, 2006 – Two St. Thomas men have been sentenced after pleading guilty to various charges involving misrepresentations to local and federal agencies about damages to a residence one of them owned.
On Feb. 10, Chief Judge James T. Giles of Philadelphia, Pa., sitting by designation in the V.I. District Court, sentenced Brian Postle to 10 months incarceration, which includes five months in a federal facility and five months home confinement. Todd Hunter was sentenced to one year probation.
Postle, 37, of Estate Peterborg, pled guilty to two felony counts of making false statements to the Governor's Home Protection Roofing Program (HPRP). Hunter pled guilty to concealment – a misdemeanor.
The charges stemmed from damages to Postle's house in Peterborg. A release from the U.S. Attorney's office Monday said Postle had purchased the home, which had been damaged in Hurricane Marilyn and later – after two subsequent hurricanes – obtained money to repair the damages by stating the house had been damaged, after he purchased it, in hurricanes Bertha and Georges.
U.S. Attorney James Carroll said Tuesday morning that Postle received money from damages he claimed from both storms.
Having obtained an initial $150,000 from the governor's roofing program, Postle received another $50,000 from the Small Business Administration – claiming he had not received any other money to repair the roof on his house.
"Mr. Postle stated he neither expected nor received any benefits from any local agency," the release said. However, it went on, "Mr. Postle was receiving benefits from the HPRP when he falsely made this statement to the SBA."
Postle has already paid back $50,000 to SBA. On Friday he paid back $100,000 to the V.I. government. According to the plea agreement, he has 10 years to pay back the remaining $50,000, and a lien has been placed on the property until he does so.