U.S. Virgin Islands – A former senator for the U.S. Virgin Islands has been convicted of wire fraud and theft of federal program funds for taking money ostensibly being used to fund a historical research project.
Wayne A.G. James, 56, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, was convicted of two counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of federal program funds. Sentencing has been set for December 20.
James abused his position as a senator to steal tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to pay his own campaign and personal expenses.
According to evidence admitted at trial, James began submitting requests to the Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands for funds in April 2009 to pay for research, copying, and translation of historical documents. He used some of the funds for the project, but soon began to take money for himself.
By 2010, James fabricated entire invoices and simply stole the money, causing the Legislature to pay him over $90,000. He used approximately $70,000 for personal expenses after his legislative salary was garnished from a tax levy of more than $197,000.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the U.S. Virgin Islands is committed to rooting out fraud and corruption in our government,” said U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert. “The defendant’s betrayal of the people and his elected office is intolerable and we will continue to pursue such abuses of the public trust.”
The FBI and the Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General investigated this case, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Vaughn and Luke Cass of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Delia Smith, who prosecuted the case.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division stated, “Public corruption undermines confidence in our government institutions and the rule of law. Wayne James’s conviction is a testament to the commitment of the Criminal Division and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who breach the public’s trust for their personal gain.”
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Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Public Corruption|Fraud & Financial Crimes|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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