WASHINGTON \u2013 Three Virgin Islands men were charged in an indictment unsealed today with various\u00a0offenses based on their participation in a bribery scheme involving over $17 million in construction contracts\u00a0awarded by the Virgin Islands Public Finance Authority (VIPFA), the U.S. Department of Justice announced this afternoon.<\/p>\n
Julito Francis, 53, former Director of Finance and Administration for the VIPFA, is charged with 11\u00a0counts of conspiracy, bribery, extortion under color of official right, honest services wire fraud and\u00a0perjury. Gerard Castor, 69, president and owner of Balbo Construction Corporation, is charged with 10 counts\u00a0of conspiracy, bribery and honest services wire fraud. John Woods, 59, co-principal of an architectural\u00a0company that worked on behalf of the VIPFA, is charged with three counts of conspiracy, bribery and extortion\u00a0under color of official right.<\/p>\n
Francis, Castor and Woods were arrested earlier today and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth\u00a0Miller of the District of the Virgin Islands. The defendants were released pending an August 12 arraignment.\u00a0According to the indictment, Castor provided more than $400,000 in improvements to Francis\u2019 personal\u00a0residence, and over $10,000 in improvements to Woods\u2019 personal property. In return, Francis and Woods\u00a0used their official positions to ensure that Balbo Construction was awarded construction contracts by the VIPFA\u00a0that were worth over $17 million, including a multi-million contract, and supplements thereto, to build the St.\u00a0Thomas Regional Library. The indictment further alleges that the defendants attempted to conceal the bribery\u00a0scheme by creating false documents that suggested Francis and Woods intended to pay Castor for the work\u00a0performed.<\/p>\n
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are\u00a0presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.<\/p>\n
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department\u2019s Criminal Division, U.S.\u00a0Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe of the District of the Virgin Islands, Special Agent in Charge Carlos Cases of the\u00a0FBI\u2019s San Juan, Puerto Rico, Division, Virgin Islands Inspector General Steven Van Beverhoudt and Special\u00a0Agent in Charge Kelly R. Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the\u00a0announcement.<\/p>\n
This case is being investigated by the FBI\u2019s San Juan Division, St. Thomas Resident Agency, the Virgin\u00a0Islands Office of the Inspector General and IRS-CI. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Laura\u00a0Fulton and Justin D. Weitz of the Criminal Division\u2019s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney\u00a0Nelson Jones of the District of the Virgin Islands. Deputy Chief Tracee Plowell of the Criminal Division\u2019s\u00a0Office of Enforcement Operations and Trial Attorney Jennifer Blackwell of the Environment and Natural\u00a0Resources Division\u2019s Environmental Crimes Section participated in the investigation when they were assigned\u00a0to the Public Integrity Section.<\/p>\n