VIPD Corruption: Former Commissioner Ray Martinez Gets 10 Years
Former Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) Commissioner Ray Martinez in an official portrait. Martinez was sentenced on June 9, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison following his conviction in a public corruption and bribery scheme.
By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun News Reporter
ST. THOMAS — Ray Martinez, the former Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), was sentenced yesterday to 120 months (10 years) in federal prison. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney, follows Martinez's conviction on multiple federal charges tied to a sweeping public corruption scheme.
In addition to the 10-year prison term, Judge Kearney ordered Martinez to fulfill the following financial and supervisory penalties:
Supervised Release: Three years following his prison term.
Forfeiture Money Judgment: $127,870.34.
Restitution: $77,257.39.
Fine: $5,000.
Special Assessments: $900.
The Criminal Scheme & Conviction
A federal jury previously convicted Martinez of five counts of Honest Services Wire Fraud, one count of Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, and two counts of Obstruction of Justice.
Trial evidence proved that Martinez abused his cabinet-level authority by accepting bribes from government contractor David Whitaker. In exchange, Martinez steered official VIPD favors to Whitaker and his technology company, Mon Ethos.
What the Bribes Funded: Luxury travel, hotel accommodations, school tuition, rent payments, and restaurant-related expenses.
In return for these personal posh perks, Martinez approved and expedited government payments to Mon Ethos. This included inflating invoices that were funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations. Totaling more than $1 million in tainted government payouts , the scheme also featured a cover-up. The jury found that Martinez actively obstructed justice by directing the destruction or transfer of evidence and fabricating a false promissory note to hand over to a federal grand jury subpoena.
Investigative & Prosecution Teams
The multi-year corruption probe was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherrisse R. Amaro of the District of the Virgin Islands.
