St. Croix Man Arraigned On Murder For Hire Charges

ST. CROIX — Delroy A. Thomas, 25, was arraigned today in District Court here after being charged in a three-count information with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire and related offenses, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Thomas was detained pending trial.

The information is the result of months of investigative work by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The joint investigation was initiated based on information that an inmate at Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility on St. Croix was planning to murder two witnesses in his upcoming case in the Virgin Islands Superior Court.

The information charges Thomas with use of interstate commerce facility in commission of murder for hire, attempted murder, and attempted retaliation against a witness.

If convicted on count one, Thomas faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. On count two, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, and on count three, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $2,000 fine.

United States Attorney Sharpe reminds the public that an information is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.