Pubdate: Thu, 24 Mar 2005
Source: Virgin Islands Daily News, The (VI)
Copyright: 2005 Virgin Islands Daily News
Contact:  http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3486
Author: Eunice Bedminster
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

3 CORRECTIONS OFFICERS HEADED FOR TRIAL IN MAY ON DRUG CHARGES

ST. CROIX - Three V.I. Corrections Bureau officers pleaded not guilty to 
drug charges Wednesday in Superior Court.

Judge Edgar Ross set a May 2 trial date for Winston Georges and Anthony 
Rhaney, and Judge Darryl Donohue set a trial date of May 31 for the third 
officer, Gino Anthony Edwards.

Assistant Attorney General Cornelius Williams, who handled the arraignment, 
said that attorneys from the Justice Department's St. Thomas office will 
try the cases.

Rhaney, 49, and Edwards, 42, were arrested on a warrant March 11 by Justice 
Department agents as part of a stepped-up effort to rid Golden Grove Adult 
Correctional Facility of criminal activity. The two were charged with 
possession with intent to distribute narcotics in a prison.

Their arrests came a little more than a week after Georges' arrest on drug 
charges.

On March 2, rookie officer Ayinde Hiss, 22, was arrested and charged with 
introducing contraband into the prison. Other Corrections officers reported 
that on the night of his arrest, Hiss took a break from work, went to his 
vehicle and returned about 7:09 p.m. The officers said they noticed a bulge 
in Hiss' shirt. They searched him and found the drugs, they said.

The Attorney General's Office has released no other details on the type of 
drugs the officers are accused of bringing into the prison or the 
circumstances surrounding their arrests.

Acting V.I. Attorney General Alva Swan has said that the investigation is 
ongoing and that other initiatives are under way or planned as part of the 
effort to root out corruption in the prison.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom