Attorney General To Announce High Profile Arrests At Noon Press Conference

ST. CROIX — The Department of Justice will announce the arrest of at least three high profile individuals said to be involved in criminal activity, at the D.O.J. offices in Castle Coakley today at noon, a source within D.O.J. has confirmed to this publication on the condition of anonymity.

A press invite issued this morning by D.O.J.’s public media officer, Corliss Smithen, reads, “Attorney General Claude Earl Walker is cordially inviting you to a press conference at the Department of Justice’s Conference Room located at Castle Coakley, St. Croix.” The release gave no further details as to why the press event was being held.

But according to the D.O.J. source, the arrest announcement of at least three men said to be involved in various crimes — including the territory’s Real ID implementation — will be made by Attorney General Claude Walker.

The three men are said to be Jerris Brown, Syed Gilani and Gregory Christian, according to the D.O.J. source.

The situation with Mr. Gilani dates back to 2011, when the V.I. government contracted BIZVI to build a software program that meets the standards outlined in the federally mandated Real ID Act of 2005. As part of the contract, work was designated in three phases: the software program would be built the first year and the other two years were for maintenance.

The Real ID Act sets forth requirements for state driver’s licenses and identification cards to be accepted for “official purposes,” including boarding commercial airlines and entering federal buildings.

While giving testimony during a Feb. 12, 2015 hearing before the Senate Committee on Rules and Judiciary, Then-Bureau of Motor Vehicle Director nominee Lawrence Olive, said BIZVI was under federal investigation; that the company was paid $2 million for work on the Real ID system but had since shuttered its services and left the territory; and that the company committed “breach of information” against the Virgin Islands Government.

The Consortium will cover the event live on our Facebook platform. 

Feature Image: Attorney General Claude Walker.