Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Father of 12 charged with illegal entry to quarantine pending bail decision

Father of 12 charged with illegal entry to quarantine pending bail decision

The matter of bail in the case against Duffs Bottom resident Aubrey Daniel was deferred to September 21 to allow him to be quarantined and tested for the virus that causes COVID-19.

The accused 59-year-old father of 12 pleaded not guilty to illegal entry and giving false information to police when he made a virtual appearance before Magistrate Christilyn Benjamin Thursday morning, September 3.

The court heard that on July 15 this year, Ocean Dreams Water Taxi Charter Service received permission from the Ministry of Health to deliver three passengers to St Thomas on July 18.

Daniel was among the approved passengers travelling to the neighbouring island.

The court heard that the vessel left West End ferry dock between 8:30 and 9:30 am. And after collecting cargo from Red Hook, St Thomas, the boat returned to Tortola with only the crew members and no passengers.

Defendant spotted on JVD


On August 31, a Customs Officer received information from a resident of Jost Van Dyke that an individual had entered the BVI illegally on a go-fast speed boat coming westerly from the USVI.

The resident confirmed that they observed a Rastafarian man coming off a powerboat wearing a black shirt and brownish coloured pants. The male was later observed boarding the ferry shortly after, the court heard.

It is alleged the Customs officer proceeded to alert the police on Tortola and boarded the ferry, sitting directly across from the said man.

When the ferry arrived at West End, the male was intercepted by the police officers. And when asked his name, he allegedly said it was ‘Aubrey Smith’ of Duffs Bottom.

When asked for proof of his identification, he claimed that he did not have any on him. However, during a search of his person, a wallet was found and a Virgin Islands Driver’s License with the name ‘Aubrey Daniel’ on it.

He was questioned about his return to the territory. He allegedly responded that he never left. The accused was subsequently taken into custody for questioning.

Interview


The court further heard that an audio-visual interview was conducted, and during the interview, the accused denied travelling to St Thomas during the pandemic.

A copy of the manifest dated July 18 with his name on it was shown to him but insisted that he left Tortola for St Thomas on the ferry but returned to the territory on the same day.

A copy of the return manifest was then shown to him dated July 18 which indicated that only two crew members returned to the territory. It was then he replied that he stayed in St Thomas for 14 days in quarantine and returned to the territory just before Jost Van Dyke went under lockdown.

The accused was shown that the times did not equate and he further stated that he returned to St Thomas from Jost Van Dyke on a boat with materials and he confirmed that he did not make contact with either Customs or Immigration departments.

A further check was conducted with the ferry and they confirmed that none of the manifests contained the name of Aubrey Daniel travelling between Tortola and Jost Van Dyke, Jost Van Dyke and Tortola during July 18 to August 31.

When he was formally charged he allegedly said: “I come to Jost Van Dyke from St Thomas, I didn’t come in illegally. I just didn’t check-in for quarantine.”

Prosecutors stated they were not objecting to bail but said he must be quarantined as a precaution, bearing in mind the USVI’s current status with the dreaded virus.

Attorney Michael Maduro represented the Daniel.

He is a US citizen and is a BVI belongership and is employed with the Government of the Virgin Islands at the Public Works Department.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
×