White Sentenced to 5 Years. Hendricks to 5.8 years

M.A. Dworkin

USVI - Calvert White, the rising young star of the Bryan-Roach Administration, who was once talked about as a future Gubernatorial candidate, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney in Federal court to 5 years in federal prison followed by 3 years supervised release after being convicted unanimously by a jury of twelve, on both counts, of Honest Services Wire Fraud and Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds.

Mr White, who is the Bryan-Roach Administration’s former USVI Commissioner of Sports, Parks and Recreation will be allowed to self-surrender on March 2, 2026. Until then, the court ordered that he wear a GPS monitoring bracelet.

The federal corruption case, in which prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence for White, involved a months-long investigation that centered on bribery and abuse of public office and was built largely around the cooperation and trial testimony of David Whitaker, who prosecutors described as a key participant in the criminal scheme and became the government’s primary witness. 

The case, defined by the insider testimony of contractor, business owner Benjamin Hendricks, was part of a broader federal-corruption investigation that examined conduct among senior Virgin Islands government officials and independent contractors. That investigation led to separate prosecutions and convictions, in unrelated matters, including the case involving the recent convictions of Police Commissioner Ray Martinez and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jenifer O’ Neal.

Prior to the sentencing, Mr. White asked the court for leniency, submitting a personal letter along with multiple letters of support from family members, friends, and associates.

Hendricks, who was previously convicted of wire fraud in 2005 and served two years in prison, was described by prosecutors as a “middleman, helper, aider and abettor,” was sentenced to 5 years 8 months in the kickback scheme between Mr. White and David Whitaker, a former government contractor, convicted felon and cooperating government witness in multiple public corruption cases, including the case against Martinez and O’Neal.

It was White who steered a lucrative surveillance contract to Whitaker’s company, Mon Ethos Pro Support, in exchange for a $16,000 payoff. 

Calvert White’s dramatic fall from grace was particularly troubling to many who knew him. When he addressed the court before his sentencing he apologized to his family. He noted his years of working with young Virgin Islanders and called it his calling to work with the Territory’s youth.

“This is not the vision that I had,” White said. “This is not the role model that I wish to set for those children.”    

But Judge Kearney summed up the feelings of all who had any doubts about White’s involvement:

“What is so concerning about this crime is how cavalier this came to you. That is, how easy it was for you to do this,” the Judge stated.