Former Virgin Islands Commissioner Sentenced to Federal Prison in Bribery and Contract Rigging Case

A former senior official of the U.S. Virgin Islands government has been sentenced to federal prison following a bribery scheme that prosecutors say corrupted a public procurement process and betrayed the trust placed in him by the community he was appointed to serve.

According to federal court records, Calvert White, the former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation, was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of soliciting and accepting a bribe in exchange for using his official position to influence the awarding of a government contract valued at approximately $1.43 million. The contract involved the installation of security camera systems at public facilities operated by the department.

White’s co-conspirator, Benjamin Hendricks, was also sentenced in connection with the scheme, receiving a 68-month prison term for acting as an intermediary who facilitated the payment and transfer of bribe funds. Federal prosecutors described Hendricks as a key conduit between White and the contractor seeking favorable treatment in the bidding process.

The case centers on a seven-month corruption scheme that began in late 2023 and continued into mid-2024. Court documents show that White demanded a bribe from contractor David Whitaker, not directly, but through Hendricks, who was used to obscure the flow of illicit payments. In exchange, White agreed to provide inside assistance to ensure Whitaker’s company had a competitive advantage in the contract award process.

As commissioner, White held authority over procurement decisions within the department, including access to non-public bid information and the ability to influence internal evaluations. Evidence presented at trial showed that White abused that authority by sharing confidential bidding details with Whitaker and by taking official actions intended to steer the contract outcome in Whitaker’s favor. During the active bidding phase, Whitaker transferred bribe payments to a bank account controlled by Hendricks, who then delivered the funds to White.

The jury ultimately convicted both White and Hendricks on charges of honest services wire fraud and bribery involving programs that receive federal funding. These charges reflect a broader federal strategy to treat public corruption not merely as a local ethics violation, but as a serious criminal offense that undermines federally supported institutions and public confidence in government operations.

The sentencing was announced by officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, with prosecutors emphasizing that public corruption cases strike at the core of democratic governance. Authorities noted that procurement fraud, particularly when it involves infrastructure or security systems, can have cascading consequences beyond financial loss, including compromised safety, inflated costs, and erosion of trust in public agencies.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, through its San Juan Field Office and St. Thomas Resident Agency. Federal investigators traced financial transactions, communications, and internal department actions to reconstruct how the scheme operated and how official processes were manipulated for personal gain.

The prosecution was handled by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Public Integrity Section, a unit tasked with pursuing corruption cases involving elected officials, senior government administrators, and abuse of public office. Prosecutors stressed that the convictions and sentences were intended not only to punish the defendants, but to deter similar conduct by other officials who may be tempted to exploit their positions.

Beyond the individual sentences, the case highlights the structural vulnerabilities that can emerge when oversight mechanisms fail or when concentrated authority is exercised without sufficient transparency. Public contracting processes are designed to ensure fairness, competition, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer funds. When those processes are compromised from within, the harm extends beyond a single contract, weakening institutional credibility and public trust.

With White now sentenced and Hendricks facing significant prison time, federal authorities indicated that the outcome reinforces a clear message: public office does not shield individuals from accountability, and the misuse of authority for personal enrichment will be met with substantial legal consequences.

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