Crime

Former VI National Guard Member Sentenced to Prison for Fraud, False Statement and Theft of Government Money

ST. CROIX — Aesha Rivers, age 44, of St. Croix, was sentenced on January 10 after being convicted by a federal jury of 48 counts of Wire Fraud; 1 count of theft of government money; and 1 count of false statement to government, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. The jury trial commenced on April 30, 2019 and concluded on May 2, 2019. Visiting Judge Anne E. Thompson sentenced Rivers to 12 months and a day in prison, to be followed by 3-year term of supervised release, and a special assessment of $5,000. Additionally, Rivers was ordered to make restitution to the Virgin Islands National Guard in the amount of $71,345.93. According to trial testimony, Rivers was a Virgin Islands National Guard member who applied for and received Overseas Housing Allowance (“OHA”) proceeds between June 1, 2011, and June 30, 2015, for a residence she purchased on St. Croix, for which she held a mortgage through Flagstar Bank. The OHA program is a reimbursement-based program intended...