Mon Ethos Pro Support's office in Yacht Haven Grande, St. Thomas USVI.
The Government of the Virgin Islands has responded to David Whitaker’s guilty pleas on charges of bribery and wire fraud by canceling all existing contracts with Mon Ethos Pro Support.
Prior to news of Mr. Whitaker’s plea in district court, the company had just exited litigation with the government over data and physical items representatives of the police department and the Department of Justice said Mon Ethos was unlawfully withholding. The litigation related to an ongoing contractual arrangement between Mon Ethos and the VIPD. Mr. Whitaker would ultimately pleaded guilty to bribing a VIPD official and wire fraud relating to inflated invoices.
In addition to work performed for the VIPD, Mon Ethos was also contracted to provide over 900 custom-built security cameras and a custom software solution for the V.I. Department of Education. The first delivery of cameras was made at the end of August, but on Monday, Government House Communications Director Richard Motta announced that no more deliveries would be forthcoming. “The government cancel a contract with someone who openly admitted and has pled guilty to defrauding the government of the Virgin Islands,” Mr. Motta said when the subject was raised.
Curtis Jones, who was announced as the new owner of Mon Ethos in late August despite the acquisition taking place in April this year, objected to how Mr. Motta characterized the situation. “I want to warn the Government of the Virgin Islands that I have never committed a crime, nor will any of my companies ever engage in illegal activities,” Mr. Jones said in a statement, creating distance between himself and former owner David Whitaker. “MEPSVI has not been charged with any crime, nor is it aware of any investigation directed specifically at Mon Ethos Pro Support, LLC (MEPSVI). The company’s contracts and performance were unaffected by the legal issues involving its former founder, and MEPSVI has remained in compliance with all contractual obligations,” Mr. Jones emphasized in a press release issued on Monday afternoon.
Mr. Jones accused the government of being inconsistent in its statements, claiming that in June, when Governor Bryan expressed confidence in the work Mon Ethos was doing with the VIPD, he was “fully aware” that Mr. Whitaker was under investigation. By that time, the ownership of the company had already changed hands, claims Mr. Jones, who points to the governor’s statements as proof that he was satisfied with the work being done under new ownership. In August, Mon Ethos announced that the company had been sold and was no longer run by founder David Whitaker, with the statement claiming that the sale was finalized earlier in the year.
Mr. Jones says Mon Ethos has fulfilled its contractual obligations to the government, sometimes going as far as paying out of pocket to ensure delivery deadlines are kept, due to payment delays from government agencies. He said the cancellation of the contract is ironic, since Mon Ethos “is being unfairly targeted for fraud by a government where officials face criminal charges with alarming frequency.” The investigation which resulted in David Whitaker’s guilty plea also prompted the resignation of former police Commissioner Ray Martinez, who, while currently not named in Mr. Whitaker’s indictment, was alerted by federal investigators that he was a target in the probe. Former Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal also resigned in connection with the investigation into VIPD’s contracts with Mon Ethos.
Mr. Jones takes exception to the government’s abrupt about-face when it comes to the contract for cameras issued by VIDE. He accuses Governor Albert Bryan of committing to settling outstanding invoices owed to the company as recently as early September. He also points to testimony before the V.I. Legislature by Education officials, in which they assure lawmakers that the MEPSVI contract was in good standing. “This sudden reversal by the government jeopardizes the safety of schoolchildren in the district, as the cameras were scheduled to be installed this week. The irony is that MEPSVI is being accused of issues while the government continues to delay payments and mismanage infrastructure, including failing to address broken generators and school buildings in disrepair,” Mr. Jones’s statement reads.
While stopping short of threatening litigation over the issue, Mr. Jones nevertheless urged the government to fulfill its commitments to the company, including paying outstanding invoices that were previously promised to be settled.
