Mapp Stands By Comment Involving Alleged Cocaine Use And Death of Gov’t House Security Officer

ST. THOMAS — On September 8, Governor Kenneth Mapp announced that police had arrested Officer Francis Williams in connection with the homicides of two police officers, but that was not the only big news coming out of the press conference, held at Government House here.

The governor also chided Neal Chesterfield, a Government House security detail — who was allegedly caught with 21 kilos of cocaine and about $26,000 in cash while trying to board a Spirit Airlines flight at the Cyril E. King Airport — for telling federal officials that he was on his way to do an advance for Mr. Mapp, explaining to the federal officials that the governor was set to travel in the next three to four days.

Yet, those were not the only startling piece of information the governor revealed at the press conference. While making his case for a more stringent process for those seeking to serve at Government House as security personnel, Mr. Mapp also said that a Government House security officer had died on the job while using cocaine.

“Several months ago you may recall that one of the uniformed officers here at Government House was found dead by his relieving officer. I did not make public then but I will make public now, that that officer literally keeled over face down into cocaine that he was apparently using, and died of a massive heart attack,” the governor said.

Turns out, however, that a police report in the death of security guard Antalino Carmona, who was found dead inside Government House on November 25, 2015, did not include any information about the use of cocaine, Police Commissioner Delroy Richards told The Consortium on Thursday. The police report containing no information about cocaine was first reported by The Virgin Islands Daily News.

Police Commissioner Delroy Richards told The Consortium late Thursday that while the police report is accurate, and he stands by the officer’s work, “there are other departmental reports that corroborated some of the comments that were made by the governor. As more information becomes available, future comments will be made.”

Mr. Richards reiterated his stance that the police officer had correctly done his job based on what he encountered on the scene. “But there were other forensics and other people — so there are other reports and more information,” he said.

The commissioner also threw his support behind the governor, stating that he did not believe Mr. Mapp would make such comments without basis.

“I’m really trying to get to the bottom of this because I don’t believe that the governor would have made such a statement aligning someone with the possible use of cocaine, without receiving some sort of notification from someone,” he added. I was convinced after I spoke to early investigators, I understand why that comment was made and the manner it was made. The information that he received prompted him to respond in the manner in which he responded,” Mr. Richards said.

He added: “The information provided to governor was not totally inaccurate. There are other information that will be forthcoming.”

The Mapp administration’s communications director, Cherie Munchez, told this publication today that the governor stands by his word.

“Yes,” she said, when asked if Mr. Mapp still believed what he said about Mr. Carmona, 51, to be true. “We are completing the internal investigation. Once that internal investigation is complete, we will update what we will confirm all of the challenges that have been made public. But the governor stands by his statement based on what he was given.”

When asked to make known who gave the governor the information, Ms. Munchez would only say that the investigation was ongoing. She later added that the governor “absolutely” stands by his original comments on the matter.