The man behind the plan to turn a guesthouse in Estate Bakkeroe into a $13 million boutique hotel is reported to be Mr. Paul Sabers who, with three co-conspirators were arrested in November 2015 on criminal charges involving the rigging of government auction bids between 2012 and 2013. Also charged were Ed McKenzie, former Chief Enforcement Officers for the Tax Assessor, Calford O. "Cappy" Charleswell, and Sylvester Warner of the Waste Management Authority. The Justice Department alleged that Sabers, McKenzie, Charleswell, and Warner conspired to inflate the price to ensure that Mr. Sabers received property after the highest bidder was unable to make the down payment. Two years later, Mr. Sabers pleaded guilty to reduced civil charges, and paid a $500,000 fine. He received a suspended jail sentence for 90 days, supervised probation for a year and 100 hours of community service. As part of the plea agreement, Mr. Sabers also agreed to refrain from "personally participating or associating with any real estate agent, broker or other person for purposes of participating in any property auction" conducted by the Virgin Islands government. The three others ultimately pleaded guilty.
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