Crime

Golden Continues to Paint Stephanie Barnes as Co-Conspirator in Defrauding Government

Former V.I. Casino Control Commission (VICCC) chairperson Violet Anne Golden continued to give witness testimony on Tuesday at the Almeric L. Christian Federal Building on St. Croix before District Court Chief Justice Robert Molloy. Currently, Stephanie Barnes is on trial for allegedly being a co-conspirator with Ms. Golden in defrauding the Government of the Virgin Islands by spending VICCC funds for personal means.  Ms. Golden’s testimony Tuesday shed light on how she misused government funding to assist the ones she cared about, namely Ms. Barnes. The prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Koster, used Golden as its witness to support the government's case that Ms. Barnes was aware that Golden was using government-issued credit cards and checks for Barnes’s personal expenses and that Barnes benefitted the most from Golden’s actions.  If both parties traveled for a work-related conference, it was their custom to arrive early and leave late to accommodate Ms. Barnes’ reque...