Lottery Director Defends Himself Following Letter Detailing Alleged Waste, Corruption At VI Lottery

Virgin Islands Lottery (V.I.L.) Executive Director Juan Figueroa Sr. wrote a letter addressed to Government House and the 32nd Legislature of the Virgin Islands on Wednesday, in response to what Mr. Figueroa said was an attempt by an unidentified employee, or a number of them, to “shame and malign the integrity” of V.I.L.

“What this person (s) has done is selfish and malicious,” Mr. Figueroa wrote in the letter, seen here. “They have not mustered the courage to identify themselves publicly, nor have they discussed their concerns with me. These are traits of a coward. In any organization there must be discipline and commitment to self and duty. As executive director, I am to ensure that the goals and objectives of the Virgin Islands Lottery are met daily.”

But even as Mr. Figueroa sought to cast the action as an act of cowardice while shaping himself as a champion of VI Lottery, he did not address the accusations included in the letter — and there were many. “As a professional I will never entertain any accusatory document that is without a signature,” he wrote. “In any judicial process, the accuser will always have the right to face their accused. The Virgin Islands Lottery was never about me. It’s not yours nor mine. It’s the people’s Lottery and we have made great stride and progress, not for some individual to trample on it.”

Employees in both public and private institutions who speak out on matters of concern, almost never identify themselves in fear of retribution. And in many institutions, these anonymous letters have led to important change.

The anonymous letter alleges a number of wrongdoings and wasteful spending. Titled “Director Juan Figueroa Sr. Must Go”, it claims that morale at the VI Lottery has sank to its lowest since Mr. Figueroa took office. “Ask just about any employee of Lottery and you will see,” it reads.

“The first thing he did when he took over was got himself a badge and gun from the department and began walking around parading like a public safety officer. Then he informs everybody in his first department meeting that if anybody opens their mouth to the senators or the governor about anything that will be going on in lottery, he will make sure [to] fire them right away,” the letter alleged.

The letter accuses Mr. Figueroa of promoting “his people” without making available the job posting to everyone else. Among those promoted without proper protocol, the letter claims, were Verita Carmichael and Luis Ozorio. The anonymous letter also highlighted Ms. Carmichael’s past, which includes a 27-count indictment of obtaining money under false pretenses in 2002.

“She has Director Figueroa Sr. like a puppet, she gets what she wants when she wants it,” the letter alleged. It says Ms. Carmichael was provided with two vehicles, one for each district, that no one is allowed to drive; that she spends between 3-4 days weekly in St. Thomas, for which she gets paid $75 per diem per day; and that she was successful in making Mr. Figueroa change the hotel she stayed at in St. Thomas from the Windward Passage Hotel, which the anonymous letter calls Holiday Inn, to the Marriott, because “Holiday Inn wasn’t good enough,” the letter claims.

Mr. Ozorio, the anonymous letter claims, was promoted by Mr. Figueroa immediately because Mr. Figueroa and Mr. Ozorio’s father are friends. “He was not a senior officer nor did he have much training and experience as the other officers,” it reads. It also claims that Mr. Ozorio, just like Ms. Carmichael, is oftentimes on St. Thomas working — sometimes 3-4 days in the week — and also receives $75 per diem. “If the cameras need to be looked at, he must fly to St. Thomas because he made sure only he has access to them. If a door hinge needs to change, he goes, if maintenance on the buildings, he goes, if air condition is not cold enough, he goes,” the letter asserts.

It goes on to claim that Mr. Ozorio hired one of his friends as an officer on St. Croix about a year and a half ago, which made this employee, according to the anonymous letter, the newest at the time. “Well, now he is a supervisor for a St. Thomas position over the St. Thomas officers that have been doing this job longer than him,” the letter reads. “So now this is another St. Croix employee [who] will be flying over to St. Thomas weekly to do the St. Thomas work and collect the $75 per day per diem.