Judge Gives USVI One Week for Proof of Payment to Prison Monitor

A federal judge gave the Virgin Islands government one week to indicate whether it paid a court-appointed prison monitor for four months’ work — or explain why it hadn’t.

In a memorandum opinion and order filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday, Judge Wilma Lewis directed the government to submit the payment status for invoices covering work in June, July, August and September 2024. Lewis wrote that the update should include the date each invoice was received, the date each invoice was due and the date each invoice was paid.

“If any of the aforementioned invoices were not paid within 30 days of receipt, the Territory shall provide an explanation for its failure to do so,” she wrote. The government’s deadline is next Tuesday. The payment issue came up earlier this year when monitor Kenneth Ray notified parties on April 26 that he would cease work pending receipt of payment for January, February and March 2024. Ray later received payment for January on May 8, according to court documents. The filing noted that the V.I. Corrections Bureau had approved the payments and was waiting for issuance by the Finance Department.