St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands – The Access and Visitation Program (AVP) within the Paternity and Child Support Division (PCSD) of the Virgin Islands Department of Justice (DOJ) is celebrating the success of its recent Parenting: Mothers Matter Workshop. The free virtual and in-person workshop ran from August 27 through September 24, concluding with a heartfelt certificate ceremony on St. Thomas at the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services (DHS) Senior Strive Center.
U.S. Virgin Islands — Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea has joined Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and a bipartisan coalition of 34 other attorneys general in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to clarify the definition of “hemp,” which bad actors have exploited due to a perceived loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill. In a letter sent to congressional leaders, the coalition urges immediate action to clarify the federal definition of hemp and prevent the continued sale of unregulated, intoxicating THC products.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to recent insinuations in the press and elsewhere that my Attorney General’s opinion with respect to the Summer’s End permit was in some way influenced by politics or pressure from Government House. I can assure you that those insinuations are simply untrue.
The facts are that I was asked by Government House to provide a legal opinion concerning the applicability of statutory deadlines to contingent coastal zone permits that require approval from the Federal Government. Following the Justice Department’s usual practice, the resulting opinion was researched and drafted by an experienced attorney in DOJ’s Solicitor General’s Division, reviewed by the Solicitor General, and then reviewed by me before being issued and forwarded to Government House.
My job as Attorney General is to issue legal opinions that correctly apply the law. At no time has anyone from Government House suggested or implied what my conclusions should be. I take very seriously my responsibility to fairly and accurately render legal opinions, irrespective of the consequences when they are applied to specific facts. The law is the law, and my job is to state it clearly and correctly.
I must say that the Governor and his staff have always respected my independence in this regard. The Attorney General’s opinion that I have issued concerning the Summer’s End permit represents my office’s carefully considered legal analysis, and I stand by it.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2025
Sandra Goomansingh
Media Relations Director
(340) 774-5666 ext. 10105
Email: sandra.goomansingh@doj.vi.gov
U.S. Virgin Islands – V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced that Kenneth L. Springer, 50, of Catherine’s Rest, was sentenced today in V.I. Superior Court on three counts of Obtaining Money by False Pretense. He was placed on probation for five years. Springer had falsely presented himself as a contractor and unlawfully obtained money from multiple individuals in 2007.
U.S. Virgin Islands – V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced Wednesday that a jury convicted 34-year-old Kertis Tonge, Jr. of Murder in the First Degree, Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Third Degree, Reckless Endangerment, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, and Unauthorized Possession of Ammunition in the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Quanza Heath. The Honorable Judge Ernest E. Morris, Jr. of the Virgin Islands Superior Court presided over the trial. Sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2025.