Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

STT businessman accused of having criminal proceeds denied bail

STT businessman accused of having criminal proceeds denied bail

A St Thomas businessman pleaded not guilty to possession of criminal proceeds when he appeared in the Magistrate Courts on Monday, March 14.

Keyon Smith, a United States citizen, was charged with having $83,732 in his possession which, according to the court, was in whole or part, indirectly or directly proceeds of criminal conduct. Smith was arrested on March 6, 2022.

After Smith answered to the charge, his attorney resubmitted a bail application which was denied by Magistrate Khadeen Palmer. In the bail application, his attorney said there is a surety on standby who Smith would stay with until his trial was completed.

The lawyer said usually the court gives a six-to-nine-month sentence if a person was found guilty of the charge brought against Smith. He added that the court’s hectic schedule would mean Smith would be on remand for a while and he would essentially have served his time.

The attorney also noted the police already had Smith’s passport and this would reduce the likelihood of the defendant fleeing to St Thomas once he received bail.

Smith also addressed the court and begged the Magistrate to grant him bail. He said when he came to the BVI, it was never his intention to be mixed up in anything that would have him arrested.

The defendant also told the court if he was granted bail, he would be present for all his trial and he would remain with his surety until the trial was completed and the court made a decision.

Insufficient social ties to BVI


Meanwhile, the prosecution objected to bail citing that the defence counsel did not establish enough social ties to the BVI to guarantee Smith would attend his trial and answer to the charge brought against him.

The prosecution said the court would need more information on the surety, and even in that case, the surety could not guarantee that Smith would not return to the USVI where the BVI does not have jurisdiction.

In her explanation for the rejection of the bail application, Magistrate Palmer said the lack of social ties to the territory was the main factor.
She said the BVI has a porous border and regardless of whether the police have Smith’s passport, he could still leave the territory. Magistrate Palmer advised Smith to take the bail application to the High Court to see if they will be more favourable to the application.

She also told the defendant she would make a special provision to have his trial on a Friday, as the court does not usually sit on Fridays. Magistrate Palmer said since Smith is not a resident here and he is a businessman, she will try to get the matter heard quickly.

The trial date was set for March 25, 2022.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"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
×