Jurors in the retrial of St. Clair "Whadablee" DeSilvia found the former calypso king guilty Tuesday of falsifying inspection documents at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), where he worked as senior vehicle inspector.
DeSilvia’s co-defendant, Marco Mendoza, was also found guilty of using the documents to obtain a valid registration for his taxi, which was never inspected by DeSilvia, according to a Justice Department press release.
The two men went on trial for the first time last November, but after hours of deliberation, jurors were unable to come to a unanimous verdict. After Assistant Attorney General Claude Walker asked that the case be retried, V.I. Superior Court Judge James S. Carroll III set jury selection and a new trial date for the beginning of this month.
Walker returned to the government table this week, arguing that DeSilvia had helped Mendoza by clearing his safari taxi for inspection last June, preparing a "phony" checklist and giving him a 2008 registration sticker.
"DeSilvia went so far as to note on the BMV checklist that the safari vehicle, owned by Mendoza, was in ‘good’ condition despite the fact that Mendoza never presented the taxi for inspection," the Justice Department release said, adding that Mendoza then attempted to file the checklist and registration with the BMV.
Both men were convicted Tuesday of one count each of filing or recording forged instrument — which carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail and up to a $1,000 fine — and fraudulent claims upon the government, which carries a maximum penalty of up to two years in jail and up to a $1,500 fine.
In the release, Attorney General Vincent Frazer warned drivers not to get involved in what he described as a "crime of convenience."
"It is the duty of all motorists to register their vehicles with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and to have them inspected for the necessary safety requirements," Frazer said. "This inspection is paramount to the safety of all residents and visitors alike …. I caution all motorists against attempting to circumvent the registration process or accepting invitations to do so."
"The time it will take a motorist to properly register his or her vehicle is guaranteed to be less than the time he or she could spend behind bars for attempting to present false documents to the BMV,” said Frazer.
