Former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez, former OMB Director Jenifer O'Neal, and current DSPR Commissioner Calvert White.
Former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez, former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O'Neal, and current Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White are facing federal indictments in connection with a fraud case involving Mon Ethos founder David Whitaker, who has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bribery, multiple sources confirmed to The Consortium.
Martinez, O'Neal, and White are slated to be indicted on Thursday and are expected to appear in court on Friday, according to individuals who spoke on condition of anonymity. The indictments have been widely discussed in the community following federal investigations reported by The Consortium, which led to the resignations of Mr. Martinez and Ms. O'Neal, while Mr. White retained his position.
The Consortium first broke the story on June 15, 2024, reporting on the federal investigation involving Martinez. The former commissioner confirmed to The Consortium that he had received a target letter from federal agents, indicating he was under investigation in connection with a federal crime.
On the same day, The Consortium revealed that former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O'Neal had been served a search warrant and subpoena by federal agents while in Florida.
The following day, on June 16, 2024, The Consortium reported that FBI agents had seized the cellphone of DSPR Commissioner Calvert White as part of a wave of federal criminal investigations sweeping the Virgin Islands.
Sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Consortium that Mr. White was being investigated in connection with a $1.8 million bid issued by DSPR for the installation of cameras on DSPR-owned facilities. The bid was awarded to Mon Ethos Pro Support, or MEPSVI — the same company believed to have been awarded several VIPD contracts.
Although a contract was never executed between DSPR and Mon Ethos, federal agents were probing potential interactions between White and company principals. Agents requested all documents related to the bidding process as part of their investigation, utilizing data collected from White’s cellphone.
At the time, White stated that he had recused himself from the bidding process due to his relationship with Anthony D. Thomas, the former Commissioner of Property and Procurement and current VP of Strategic Alliance and Contracts at Mon Ethos.
"I recused myself from the bidding process because I knew that Anthony Thomas is part of the company, and Anthony Thomas and I worked together. I wasn't part of the bid packages, the evaluation, the scores, the selection — none of that. I was not part of any of that, and there's a document showing that," White said in June 2024.
Calls to Mr. Martinez and Mr. White were not immediately returned, and Ms. O'Neal declined to comment.
On December 16, FBI agents seized several pieces of kitchen equipment from Don Felito’s Cookshop, owned by Martinez, after executing a warrant issued by the U.S. District Court earlier that month. The warrant application, submitted on December 5 by an FBI special agent, alleged that the equipment—including a commercial kitchen hood, half-height side curtains, a fire suppression system, and stainless steel wall panels—was subject to civil seizure and forfeiture. The seizure was tied to alleged violations of federal laws, including wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery, and conspiracy to commit federal program bribery.
The following day, Michael Sheesley, the attorney for Don Felito’s Cookshop, filed a motion seeking the return of the seized property. Sheesley argued that the seizure was “an effort to embarrass Ray Martinez, the principal of Don Felitos.” He claimed that agents failed to inform the court that the kitchen hood system was integral to Don Felito’s operations and did not adhere to the necessary legal requirements for the seizure of real property.
Shortly after, prosecutors filed a response to the motion seeking the return of kitchen equipment seized from Don Felito’s. The government argued that the business “is not entitled to a return” of the equipment. Prosecutors maintained there was no “callous disregard for the constitutional rights” of either Don Felito’s or Mr. Martinez, asserting that the seizure was lawful.
“The seizure of the Hood System was not an arbitrary seizure. The government sought and obtained a criminal seizure warrant that was supported by probable cause,” the response stated, referencing the affidavit submitted by an FBI Special Agent with the warrant application. Additionally, the response noted, “Tenant does not and has not challenged the facts upon which the Magistrate Judge relied” in approving the warrant.
The details of the case remain sealed but are anticipated to be made public this week.
