May 22, 2009 — V.I. Police Officer Jerome Blyden appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Geoffrey Barnard in a detention hearing Friday, hoping to go free until his upcoming trial for racketeering, attempted murder and other charges.
Defense attorney Joseph A. DiRuzzo hoped to poke holes in the case against Blyden, painting his client as a stable man with no reason to flee the territory. He also attempted to raise questions about Blyden’s troubled record as a police officer, making the case that many of the allegations and complaints lodged against him never resulted in disciplinary actions.
DiRuzzo called Blyden’s mother, Margaret Rawlings, to the witness stand. She told U.S. Attorney Kim Lindquist that she had not been aware that her son had been placed on paid, administrative leave, nor did she know why. But, she maintained, “my son is not violent. He is a very respectable man in the community.”
Also in court to speak on Blyden’s behalf was V.I. Police Lt. Joseph Gumbs. Gumbs said that he has known Blyden for about 10 years.
Lindquist presented the case that Blyden was a dangerous man who has a history of threatening witnesses.
“This man is a threat to witnesses, potential witnesses,” he told the judge.
Former V.I. Police Department Director of Internal Affairs Ray Martinez testified that twice, the department had attempted to perform psychological evaluations on Blyden. He said both times, Blyden tried to intimidate the psychiatrists. The first told police that Blyden would show up at his office for no reason. The second told police that Blyden was trying to intimidate her, but “she would not be intimidated.”
Lindquist presented the court with evaluations of Blyden that Martinez had compiled, based on all of the complaints lodged against him.
At press time, the judge had not yet ruled on the case.
Blyden was indicted this week by a federal grand jury. He was arrested Wednesday morning.
The five-count indictment charges Blyden with one count each of racketeering, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime and assault with a dangerous weapon. Similar charges have been applied to Gelean Mark, who is described in the 12-page indictment as the leader of the crime ring, dubbed the Mark-Blyden Enterprise.
Blyden was officially suspended without pay from the V.I. Police Department Wednesday.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison and fined $250,000.
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