Identity Of Man Who Set Ablaze Federal Offices In St. Thomas Released

ST.  THOMAS — Federal officials in St. Thomas on Wednesday revealed the identity of the man who they believe had set ablaze the U.S. Navy and Marine Recruitment Center in the Nisky Shopping Center on Tuesday.

Wayne Allen, 25, was arrested on Tuesday on a criminal complaint charging him with maliciously damaging the U.S. Navy and Marine Recruitment Center by means of fire, according to United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe.

Mr. Allen made his initial appearance yesterday before Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller. Today, after a preliminary hearing, the court found that there was probable cause to believe that Mr. Allen committed the offense and ordered him detained pending trial.

According to the complaint, the Virgin Islands Territory Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA) received a 911 call for a fire at the Nisky Shopping Center in the early morning hours of Tuesday. The Virgin Islands Police Department and Fire Service responded to the call to find the U.S. Navy and Marine Recruitment Center engulfed in flames. As a result, the U.S. Navy and Marine Recruitment Center was completely destroyed. The police and fire departments also responded to two related fires: one at the Ron De Lugo Federal Courthouse and another at the U.S. Coast Guard Station.

Arson, or maliciously damaging federal property by means of fire, carries a sentence of not less than 5 years in prison and up to a maximum term of 20 years, according to the release.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Department of Homeland Security, with the assistance of V.T.E.M.A, the V.I.P.D., and V.I.F.S. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tasheika Hinson.

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