Darin Richardson Released Pending Appeal After Third Circuit Grants Request Over Government Objection

Former V.I. Housing Finance Authority Chief Operating Officer Darin Richardson has been released from federal custody pending appeal after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit granted his request, despite prosecutors arguing that his sentencing and trial claims did not justify release under the post-conviction standard.Richardson’s attorney, Darren John-Baptiste, confirmed that his client was released from a federal prison in Puerto Rico after Circuit Judge Cindy Chung granted the motion on June 30, per WTJX. After the release order, Mr. John-Baptiste filed an emergency motion asking the appellate court to prevent Virgin Islands officials from taking Richardson into custody on the local conflict-of-interest conviction, saying he had learned that the Superior Court Marshal’s Division intended to execute the local sentence. As of press time, no ruling on that emergency request had been made available in the docket. The filings leading up to the Third Circuit’s decision show...