Corruption charge for ex-Virgin Islands official
ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) — A former government official in the U.S. Virgin Islands who was already facing fraud and tax evasion charges has been indicted on bribery and extortion charges in an unrelated case, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.
A federal grand jury indicted Louis "Lolo" Willis on three counts each of bribery and extortion stemming from his time as the executive director of the Virgin Islands Legislature in 2009-12.
The indictment alleges Willis used the appointed position to extract thousands of dollars in payments from three contractors working on renovations to the Legislature building.
Willis, 56, was charged in February with fraud and tax evasion in an unrelated local case stemming from an earlier stint as executive director of the Internal Revenue Bureau, where he served in 2000-06.
He has pleaded not guilty in that still-pending earlier case.
His attorney, Treston Moore, said he had not yet seen the new indictment and declined comment.
