DISTRICT COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
DIVISION OF ST. THOMAS AND ST. JOHN 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 
Plaintiff, 
v. 
PAUL GIRARD, SHAQUAN PRENTICE, 
ROBERT BROWN, WAHILLI JAMES, 
SHAQUIELLE CORREA, JAMES CRUZ, 
KAREEM HARRY, TYLER EUGENE, 
ETHERNEAL SIMON, SHERMYRA GUMBS, 
WAYNE BELLILLE, 
Defendants. 
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Criminal No. 2018-30 
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ATTORNEYS: 
 
Gretchen C.F. Shappert, United States Attorney 
Alessandra Parisi Serano, AUSA 
Meredith Jean Edwards, AUSA 
Juan Albino, AUSA 
United States Attorney’s Office 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For the United States of America, 
 
Ryan W. Greene 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Paul Girard, 
 
Adriane J. Dudley 
Malorie Diaz 
Dudley Rich Davis LLP  
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Shaquan Prentice, 
 
Renee Marie Andre 
Law Offices of Marjorie Rawls-Roberts PC  
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Robert Brown, 
 
 
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United States v. Girard, et al. 
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Alex Omar Rosa-Ambert 
Rosa-Ambert Law Offices   
San Juan, PR 
 
For Wahilli James, 
 
Jason Gonzalez-Delgado 
Hato Rey, PR 
 
For Shaquielle Correa, 
 
Miguel Oppenheimer  
San Juan, PR 
 
For James Cruz, 
 
Kye Walker 
St. Croix, U.S.V.I. 
Frantz J. McLawrence  
The McLawrence Law Firm  
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 
 
For Kareem Harry, 
 
Richard F. Farrelly 
Law Offices of Birch DeJongh & Hindels PLLC 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Tyler Eugene, 
 
Richard H. Dollison 
Michall Joseph LaRochell 
Law Offices of Richard H. Dollison PC 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Etherneal Simon, 
 
Kendys Pimentel-Soto 
Kendys Pimentel-Soto Law Office LLC 
San Juan, PR 
 
For Shermyra Gumbs, 
 
Alexander Golubitsky  
Alex Golubitsky P.C. 
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 
 
For Wayne Bellille. 
 
 
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United States v. Girard, et al. 
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ORDER 
GÓMEZ, J. 
 
For the reasons stated herein, the time to try this case is 
extended up to and including September 21, 2020. 
 
On March 17, 2020, the Chief Judge of the District Court of 
the Virgin Islands entered a general order responding to the 
COVID-19 pandemic. The Chief Judge noted that the pandemic had 
been declared a national emergency and a public health emergency 
by the President of the United States. The Chief Judge also 
noted that the Governor of the Virgin Islands had declared a 
state of emergency. The Chief Judge found it necessary to “take 
reasonable and prudent actions” “in order to further public 
health and safety, and the health and safety of Court personnel, 
counsel, litigants, other case participants, jurors, persons 
with other business at the courthouse, and the general public.” 
Mar. 17, 2020, D.V.I. General Order at 1-2, 
https://www.vid.uscourts.gov/sites/ vid/files/general-
ordes/CoronaVirusOperationsOrder.pdf. 
 
Among other precautionary measures, the Chief Judge 
continued all criminal trials scheduled from March 18, 2020, 
through April 16, 2020. The Chief Judge found that the ends of 
justice required excluding March 18, 2020, through April 16, 
2020, from the Speedy Trial count in all criminal matters. 
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Such exclusion is necessary as to any cases scheduled 
for trial during the March 18, 2020[,] through April 
16, 2020[,] period in order to assure that there is 
a full, unhindered, continuously serving jury venire 
and seated jury in every case, which is central to 
the sound administration of justice. Such exclusion 
of time is also necessary in cases that are set for 
trial outside of the March 18, 2020[,] through April 
16, 2020[,] time period, as well as cases that are 
not yet set for trial, in order to address the 
reasonably anticipated difficulties in defense 
counsel communicating or visiting with clients; the 
difficulties that the parties are likely to face in 
undertaking all of the tasks necessary to fully 
prepare for trial; and the inherent delay in the 
scheduling of further trials as a consequence of the 
exclusion period herein. 
 
Id. at 2-3. 
 
Since the Chief Judge entered the general order, the crisis 
in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the United States in general has 
intensified. On March 17, 2020, there were approximately 7,000 
confirmed cases in the United States, 2 of which were in the 
U.S. Virgin Islands. As of the date of this Order, there are 
over 770,000 confirmed cases in the United States, 51 of which 
are in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The virus has claimed over 
41,100 lives in the United States, 3 of which are in the U.S. 
Virgin Islands. The number of cases and deaths continues to 
rise. 
 
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Congress passed 
an unprecedented financial assistance package, the CARES Act, on 
March 27, 2020. The Act was signed into law by the President of 
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United States v. Girard, et al. 
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the United States that same day. Among its many provisions, the 
CARES Act authorizes district courts to use teleconferencing to 
hold felony pleas and felony sentencings under appropriate 
circumstances. See CARES Act, § 15002(b)(2), H.R. 748, 248-49.  
 
On April 16, 2020, the Chief Judge entered an order 
extending the general order in full force and effect through May 
12, 2020. That order continued all criminal trials scheduled 
from April 17, 2020, through May 12, 2020. The Chief Judge found 
that the ends of justice required excluding April 17, 2020, 
through May 12, 2020, from the Speedy Trial count in all 
criminal matters. 
 
On the same day, the United States filed a motion to 
continue the trial date. The United States asserts that it has 
been unable to conduct significant portions of its trial 
preparations due to restrictions on travel and in-person contact 
related to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the United States 
requests that the Court continue the trial to a date on or after 
September 8, 2020. 
 
While the Speedy Trial Act requires that defendants be 
tried within seventy days of indictment, the Court specifically 
finds that further extending this period would be in the best 
interest of justice. In order to avoid overwhelming our 
healthcare system, it is essential that action be taken to slow 
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United States v. Girard, et al. 
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the spread of the virus. Social distancing--specifically 
avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people and maintaining a 
distance of at least 6 feet from others--is the most effective 
check against the COVID-19’s transmission. Significantly, nine 
defendants remain set for trial in this matter and the United 
States expects to call over 100 witnesses. Given the 
increasingly dire circumstances faced by the U.S. Virgin Islands 
and the United States as a whole, the Court finds that a greater 
extension of time is necessary for the protection and well-being 
of the defendants, the jury, the prosecutors, the witnesses, the 
court personnel, and the general public at large. Further, given 
the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Court 
finds that a greater extension of time is necessary to allow the 
parties to properly prepare for trial.  
 
The premises considered, it is hereby   
 
ORDERED that the time beginning from the date of this order 
granting an extension through September 21, 2020, shall be 
excluded in computing the time within which the trial in this 
matter must be initiated pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3161; it is 
further 
ORDERED that the trial in this matter previously scheduled 
for June 1, 2020, is RESCHEDULED to commence promptly at 9:00 
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A.M. on September 21, 2020, in Saint Thomas Courtroom 1; it is 
further 
ORDERED that the omnibus hearing in this matter previously 
scheduled for May 6, 2020 is hereby RESCHEDULED to commence 
promptly at 9:00 A.M. on July 13, 2020, in Saint Thomas 
Courtroom 1; it is further 
ORDERED that the motions deadline previously set for  
April 3, 2020, is hereby EXTENDED to June 1, 2020; it is further 
ORDERED that the parties in this matter shall each be 
prepared to be available for a trial period extending from 
September 21, 2020, through October 31, 2020; it is further  
ORDERED that the motion of the United States, ECF No. 764, 
is MOOT; and it is further 
ORDERED that the motion of Shermyra Gumbs, ECF No. 755, to 
extend the time to file pretrial motions is MOOT.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
S\ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
Curtis V. Gómez 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
District Judge 
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