Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Trial date set for trio accused of assisting 28 illegal immigrants

Trial date set for trio accused of assisting 28 illegal immigrants

A trial date has been set for the three men accused of assisting 28 illegal immigrants to enter the British Virgin Islands last November.

Jerome Hopkins Jr, Danny Deniville, and Kaseani Skelton are expected to engage in a four-day trial beginning April 25. Skelton, however, must return to court on March 7 to report on whether he has secure legal representation.

During his court appearance yesterday, defence attorney Leroy Jones appeared on behalf of Skelton. However, Jones told the court he was not retained officially by the accused as a legal counsel.

All three of the accused men had appeared in court yesterday where they pleaded not guilty to the charges laid against them. Hopkins Jr, currently on bail, was charged with harbouring illegal immigrants and assisting with illegal entry. The two other accused, Deniville and Skelton, are also charged with that offence in addition to illegal entry.

The Magistrate Court was also informed by the prosecution that Deniville has an additional charge of obtaining property by deception. This charge is indictable and may be transferred to the High Court.

Allegations


The court was told that Deniville and Skelton assisted with the illegal entry of 28 persons between November 20-23, 2021. It was said the immigrants had paid for passage from St Maarten to St John in the US Virgin Islands.

However, the four-hour journey promised turned into 18 hours after the boat developed mechanical issues. The court heard the boat captain contacted Deniville and Skelton for assistance. The 28 persons were then allegedly transported to the residence of Hopkins Jr in Baughers Bay.

The prosecution alleged that the immigrants were charged an additional $1,000 for the journey from BVI to St John and only the Brazilian nationals were able to pay. Hence, they were transported to St John the following day.

The court was further told Hopkins Jr made several visits to his property and charged $100 per person for each night of occupancy. It was also alleged that the three accused colluded to get additional money from the remaining immigrants.

The prosecution alleged Deniville collected cash via Western Union on behalf of the immigrants. Skelton also handed over money collected from the immigrants to Hopkins Jr, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution noted there was a growing concern between the three men of some of the immigrant’s inability to pay for the cost of housing and the money for the trip to St John.

The court was also informed that Hopkins Jr had reported to the police that he rented his apartment to two Spanish men, and he discovered they had Haitian nationals staying there illegally.

When the police conducted a raid on the apartment, the court was told they caught 14 immigrants and three had escaped. There were seven Venezuelans, six Haitians and one Peruvian found at the premises in Baughers Bay.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×