St. Croix Man Arrested for Allegedly Providing a False Statement and Concealing a Person From a Federal Arrest

St. Croix, USVI – United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that Clintford Joseph, Jr. of St. Croix was arrested October 10, 2019 on a warrant for the charges of Concealing a Person from Arrest and making a False Statement.

According to an Indictment issued by a Federal Grand Jury on October 1, 2019, Joseph is accused of concealing Paul Girard a/k/a "Bogus" from federal investigators from the period between October 23, 2018 through November 4, 2018. Joseph also faces a charge of providing a false statement to law enforcement on or about November 5, 2018 when he advised federal law enforcement investigators that he was unaware that Paul Girard, Jr. was staying in the bedroom located above the garage of an 84 Clairmont, St. Croix residence. Girard and others are charged in a multiple count indictment with operating a conspiracy involved in drug dealing, murders on St. Croix and armed robberies on St. Croix and St. Thomas.

Joseph was arraigned today in federal court.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney G.A. Massucco.

United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert reminds the public that an Indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.