Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Low-wage gov’t worker paid $5.5K monthly for prison escapee’s rent

Low-wage gov’t worker paid $5.5K monthly for prison escapee’s rent

Renee Smith, one of the persons accused of harbouring the recently recaptured prison escapee, Jose Almestica, allegedly rented the three-bedroom Ballast Bay apartment Almestica stayed in for $5,550 monthly.

But the prosecution pointed to a major financial discrepancy. Prosecutors told the court that Smith, a 33-year-old cashier at the BVI Health Services Authority, only earns a monthly salary of $1,800.

In assessing whether to grant the Smith bail, Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards said, based on the allegations, it appears Smith has access to a cash reserve since her salary did not match the money she reportedly paid for the three-bedroom apartment.

Magistrate Richards said this indicated Smith could afford the means of escaping the territory if she was granted bail. Smith was therefore denied bail.

Allegations


It is alleged that Smith rented the apartment through a rental agency in January of this year,

The court was told the prosecution had a copy of the rental agreement which had the signature of Smith and the name of the agency (which was not disclosed).

The court was also informed that a copy of Smith’s photo identification used for the rental lease was also in possession of the police.

The prosecution alleged that when Smith rented the apartment, she had indicated to the renters that others were expected to join her in the three-bedroom apartment.

It is alleged that she also told the renters no one should visit the apartment without prior consent from her. The court was told that the owners of the apartment had made arrangements for the apartment to be sold. However, Smith allegedly indicated on two separate occasions that it would not be convenient to visit the apartment at those times.

Receipts of payments


The prosecution also told the court they had receipts for the payment of the rent and they were in Smith’s name. The prosecution said they had receipts from January, when the apartment was rented, until November of this year. The court was also told most of the payments were done with cash.

The total payment of rent over the period is said to be a little more than $55,000 which Magistrate Richards indicated was significantly more than Smith’s combined salary over the same timeframe.

Who legally has ownership of apartment’s contents?


The magistrate noted that, from a legal standpoint, the contents found in the apartment would belong to Smith as her name is on the lease.

The prosecution said they found large quantities of guns, cocaine, marijuana and cash.

Meanwhile, the prosecution also alleged that blue vehicle belonging to Smith was seen at the Ballast Bay apartment on December 6 and was used to transport Almestica on other occasions. However, Smith denied having any knowledge of the vehicle when questioned by police officers.

The prosecution also informed the court the police had received information Smith had planned on leaving the territory and she was arrested in the parking lot of the Road Town Ferry Dock.

She was not trying to leave territory, says attorney


However, Smith’s lawyer, Stephen Daniels, contended that the parking lot in which she was found was also used for parking at the hospital where his client worked.

He also said she was with her mother in the parking lot and she did not have any travel documents — which would have been required to leave the territory — in her possession.

Smith is jointly charged with her brother Shamal Smith for harbouring Jose Almestica.

They join Jennifer Smith who is also charged with the same offence. They are facing up to 14 years imprisonment if found guilty.

Smith, in the meantime, returns to court on February 2, 2022.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×