V.I. Dept. Of Justice Seeking Community’s Assistance In Locating Two Sex Offenders Living In VI

ST. THOMAS — The Virgin Islands Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking the public’s assistance in locating two men who are wanted in connection with failure to comply with the registration requirements for sex offenders.

“The frequency of the registration is determined by the tier assigned to the sexual offender, and by and large, the registered sexual offenders in the Territory know that DOJ does not take this matter lightly, and so, they comply by consistently coming in, when required by law, to register. In this case, we have two who we allege have failed to consistently register, as the law requires, and so, we are seeking to arrest them,” said Attorney General Claude Walker.

Darion Johnson, 41, above right, was convicted in Texas on Dec. 1, 2009, of indecency by exposure and was sentenced to a term of incarceration. Following his release from prison in 2012, Johnson moved to the Virgin Islands and appeared at DOJ to register as a Tier I sexual offender. According to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Agency (SORNA), Tier I sexual offenders are required to register once a year for 15 years.

According to an affidavit to support Mr. Johnson’s arrest, Mr. Johnson last updated his registration on Apr. 23, 2015; however, he recently failed to visit DOJ to register, as required. Mr. Johnson, who has no fixed address, is described as African American with a fair complexion, he stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 155 pounds.

Daniel Cove, 33, above left, is a Tier 2 sexual offender, who was convicted of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 on March 26, 2002, in Massachusetts, was subsequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment. Mr. Cove then moved to the Virgin Islands after he was released from prison and on June 21, 2013, he appeared at DOJ to register as a sex offender. He again updated his registration, but has since failed to keep his registration current, according to an affidavit to support his arrest. SORNA law mandates that Tier 2 sex offenders register every six months for 25 years.

Mr. Cove is described as a 5-foot-8-inch Caucasian man weighing 210 pounds. He is bald and has blue eyes. His last known address is 2A Wintberg.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of these men is asked to call Sehkera Tyson, Assistant Director for the Bureau of Investigation at the Department of Justice, at (340) 473-8664.