Two Men Plead Guilty To Breaking Into ‘My Brother’s Workshop’

ST. THOMAS — Two men who were accused of breaking and entering into My Brother’s Workshop have both admitted to the crime, the Superior Court made known Friday.

Allen “Buckwheat” Samuel, 42, and Kyle Francis Woods, 46, both appeared before V.I. Superior Court Judge James Carroll III on Friday morning and pleaded guilty to the Jan. 27 offense.

Mr. Woods and Mr. Samuel were initially charged with one count each of third-degree burglary, grand larceny and possession of stolen property. Mr. Woods faced an additional count of destruction of property.

Under the terms of a plea agreement negotiated by Assistant Attorney General Eugene Connor, Jr. and public defender, Robert Leycock, the duo pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, the remaining counts against each of them were dismissed and they were both ordered to pay restitution. Prosecutors also recommended that Samuel and Woods be sentenced to serve prison terms of five years and three years, respectively.

Having accepted the guilty pleas, Carroll sentenced Mr. Samuel to four years behind bars; however, he has scheduled Mr. Woods’ sentencing to Sept. 12 at 10:30 a.m. as he awaits a pre-sentence report from the Office of Probation.   

Kyle Woods mugshot, courtesy V.I.P.D.

According to an affidavit filed by police officer Vernon Carr detailing the nature of the offense, officers responded to reports of burglary that occurred at “My Brother’s Workshop” in the pre-dawn hours. Footage from a surveillance camera showed that at about 3:40 a.m. on Jan. 27, Samuel and Woods entered the building through the south eastern door on Back Street.

Once inside the building, Mr. Woods tried to open the cash register, but unable to do so, he took the cash register and ran off with it. Officers who viewed the surveillance camera tape saw Mr. Woods also taking a 32-inch television monitor from the counter. He then left through the same door, Carr wrote.

Later that same day, officers saw Mr. Woods downtown and arrested him on suspicion of burglary and related charges.  Woods told police that he broke into “My Brother’s Workshop” and that “Buckwheat” was with him when he broke into the building, according to Carr’s affidavit.

Mr. Woods led officers to an open lot on Nye Gade where he hid the television and an I-pad that he took from “My Brother’s Workshop.” Mr. Woods then took the officers to Western Cemetery in Altona where he had concealed the cash register and several other items, according to Carr.