Ivan James, Kai James, Joh Williams, Malachi Benjamin, and Tillisa Caesar appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller for arraignment on a twenty-count superseding indictment charging drug conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, and possession of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking conspiracy. According to court records, Ivan James and Kai James were alleged leaders of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that operated on St. Croix. Federal law enforcement first discovered the organization’s existence during a 2013 investigation, which revealed that Ivan James was smuggling narcotics into the Golden Grove Correctional Facility on St. Croix with the aid of a now-deceased corrections officer. After the hearing, Magistrate Miller remanded Ivan James, Williams, and Benjamin pending their detention hearings on Thursday. Ceaser was previously detained on separate drug trafficking conspiracy charges, and Kai James was placed on home confinement.
A large-scale community cleanup of the St. Thomas East End Reserve is now including Salt River, St. Croix and Coral Bay, St. John and seeks community-minded volunteers on each island. Organizers of the 3rd Annual Great Mangrove Cleanup estimate that nearly 5,000 pounds of trash were removed from mangrove shorelines of the East End Reserve in previous 2018 and 2019 events, with more than 200 community members participating. The Salt River Mangrove, St. Croix cleanup is February 22, the Coral Bay Mangrove, St. John cleanup is March 28. and the Mangrove Lagoon, St. Thomas cleanup April 25. Volunteers may register now at viepscor.org or call 340-513-7203