From left: Attorney Matos de Juan, Ray Martinez, Diana Martinez, Jenifer O’Neal, and one of O’Neal’s sons. Photo Credit: ERNICE GILBERT/V.I. CONSORTIUM.
A United States federal jury has convicted Jenifer O’Neal on all counts in a high-profile bribery and corruption case in the United States Virgin Islands, following a landmark trial in St Thomas, according to a report by the Virgin Islands Consortium.
O’Neal, the former Director of the USVI Office of Management and Budget, was found guilty alongside former Police Commissioner Ray Martinez after jurors returned unanimous verdicts on Thursday afternoon. The jury began deliberations earlier that morning and reached its decision within hours.
Prosecutors said O’Neal, a native of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands, knowingly took part in a scheme that involved bribery, honest services wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy linked to contracts funded by federal relief money. The case centred on dealings with cooperating witness David Whitaker, whose business relationships with senior government officials formed the core of the government’s evidence.
According to prosecutors, O’Neal approved and advanced inflated invoices connected to government contracts while receiving personal benefits in return. The jury heard evidence that an invoice valued at $216,000 was inflated by about $70,000, with prosecutors arguing that O’Neal knew the figure was fraudulent. When informed that the extra funds were needed for Martinez’s restaurant, O’Neal responded “lol,” before instructing a subordinate to move the invoice forward, prosecutors said.
The court also heard evidence relating to a lease payment for O’Neal’s Java Grande coffee shop at Yacht Haven Grande. Prosecutors said O’Neal raised concerns about traceability and did not want the payment to be directly linked to her. A wire transfer later showed the payment was made by Whitaker, with funds prosecutors said originated from the inflated invoice. “Nothing about Jenifer O’Neal’s actions was accidental,” Assistant US Attorney Cherrisse Amaro told the court.
O’Neal faced charges including honest services wire fraud, bribery concerning programmes receiving federal funds, and money laundering conspiracy. She was convicted on every count.
Her defence argued that the government’s case relied too heavily on Whitaker, questioning his credibility and denying that O’Neal knowingly joined any conspiracy. Her attorney described Whitaker as operating by “lie, steal, repeat,” while maintaining that O’Neal’s actions were lawful and misunderstood.
In rebuttal, prosecutors said the evidence went beyond witness testimony and included text messages, recordings and wire transfers. “The government does not pick the criminal co-conspirators,” trial attorney Alexandre Dempsey said. “The criminals pick each other.”
Sentencing for O’Neal has been tentatively scheduled for June 2026. She was allowed to remain out of custody pending sentencing, with the final penalty to be determined under federal sentencing guidelines.
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