Three Sentenced For Firearms, Cocaine And Bank Fraud Offenses

District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez Thursday sentenced Carlos Jamoi Norman, 23, to 30 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number; Edwin Monsanto, 54, of St. Thomas, to 33 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; and Davidson L. Alfred, 54, of St. John, to 17 months in prison and two years of supervised release for bank fraud.

The sentences were announced by United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe.

On Nov. 18, 2014, Norman pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment and has been in custody since Dec. 31, 2014. According to court documents, Norman was involved in an altercation in the Oswald Harris Court housing community during which shots were fired. When police officers arrived at the scene, they were given descriptions of the persons discharging the firearms. Officers visited each apartment to speak with occupants, and while approaching the apartment Norman occupied, he fled, but was quickly captured at the back door of the apartment.

During a search of Norman, officers found a black holster on his waist. A search of the apartment turned up a Springfield Armory XD, .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number.

In addition to a prison term, Norman was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ishmael Meyers, Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nelson L. Jones.

On Jan. 29, 2014, Monsanto pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 20 kilograms of cocaine. He was arrested as part of the investigation of Roberto Tapia, director of the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Environmental Enforcement. On Nov. 7, 2013, Monsanto was charged in a 69-count third superseding indictment, along with Tapia, Angelo Hill, Walter Hill, Jr., Stephen Torres, Eddie Lopez-Lopez, Raymond Brown, Hector Alcenio, and Angel L. Negron-Beltran. As part of his sentence, Monsanto also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment, perform 150 hours of community service, and forfeit all proceeds of his crime. The case was investigated by the Public Corruption Task Force, and was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim R. Lindquist and Kelly B. Lake, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim L. Chisholm.

For his crime, Alfred was ordered to serve his sentence consecutively to a 16-month sentence he received on Jan. 29, 2015 for violating the conditions of his supervised release in another criminal case, United States v. Alfred, Criminal No. 12-cr-36. At the end of Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Alfred was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence. Court records show Alfred pleaded guilty to count one of an indictment, which charged him with presenting for payment a forged check to Banco Popular de Puerto Rico in the amount of $2,500. As part of his guilty plea, Alfred also admitted he presented additional forged checks drawn on the same account, totaling approximately $44,450. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim L. Chisholm.