A federal grand jury on St. Croix has indicted 29 inmates at the Golden Grove Adult Correctional and Detention Facility for possessing contraband, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced Wednesday.
Sharpe was accompanied in the announcement by Vito S. Guarino, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Caribbean Division, and Carlos Cases, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation San Juan Field Division.
The indictments were returned by the grand jury on April 3, and 27 were unsealed Monday. Two indictments remain under seal, according to Sharpe.
Sharpe said that under federal and territorial law it is illegal for inmates to possess such items as weapons, controlled substances and cellular telephones in prison. If convicted, the 29 defendants face between one and five additional years in prison and fines of between $200,000 and $250,000 depending on the nature of the contraband possessed.
These indictments are part of an ongoing federal investigation involving the smuggling of illegal contraband into Golden Grove by correctional officers, inmates and others.
The grand jury action came the week before federal agents executed federal search warrants on Golden Grove. That April 7 sweep searched inmates’ cells and certain common areas, such as the prison yard and workshop areas, for illegal contraband, weapons, controlled substances and cellular telephones.
As a result of those searches, federal agents seized, among other contraband, approximately 55 weapons – both shanks and other contraband capable of being used as weapons such as razor blades and scissors, 28 cellular telephones, a cell phone “booster,” and a Sony PlayStation.
In addition, illegal drugs were seized from 33 separate cells, along with drug packaging material and other drug paraphernalia.
“These indictments demonstrate the United States’ ongoing commitment to identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible for possessing and introducing contraband into Golden Grove,” Sharpe said. “It is important for the community to have confidence that prison inmates do not have access to weapons or the ability to engage in criminal activity from behind bars.”
Guarino, the DEA agent, said the safety of inmates and employees is a priority in Golden Grove as in all other correctional facilities.
"It is imperative that order is maintained inside the prison to prevent crimes from happening both in and outside as well,” he said. “DEA will continue to work closely with other federal and territorial law enforcement and government agencies to reach that goal in the Golden Grove Correctional facility.”
The FBI special agent in charge agreed. “Contraband in the prison system affects operations and the safety of all correctional facilities’ employees,” he said. “The FBI will continue to support all federal and local authorities in combating illegal contraband in the prison system.”
The 27 inmates named in the unsealed indictment and the contraband they are accused of having are:
– Ballantine, Warren – cell phone;
– Barbel, Al-Ahad – cell phone;
– Colbourne, Romal – cell phone;
– George, Gregoire – shank/knife, cell phone;
– Harrington, Toma – marijuana;
– Lettsome, Renell – marijuana;
– Martinez, Edwin Velez – cell phone;
– Monsanto, Avery – marijuana;
– Percival, Shevron – cell phone;
– Boyce, Michael – shank/knife, cell phone;
– Bramble, Emmet – cell phone;
– Elmes, Shamari – shank/knife;
– Encarnacion, Rusiel – cell phone;
– Ford, Michael – cell phone;
– Girard, Paul – cell phone, marijuana;
– Lloyd, Calvin – cell phone, marijuana;
– Morris, Suhmeid – shank/knife, cell phone, marijuana;
– Nisbett, Leon – cell phone
– Simmonds, Jahseen – shank/knife, cell phone;
– West, Jameel – shank/knife;
– Phillip, Jervern – shank/knife, cell phone;
– Sampson, Henry – marijuana;
– Samuel, Tishawn – shank/knife, cell phone, marijuana;
– Santiago, Andelson – shank/knife;
– Smith, Anthon – cell phone;
– Stanley, Rodney – cell phone;
– Woods, Delroy – shank/knife, cell phone.