Former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie spent a second birthday under house arrest at his daughter’s Miami apartment Monday while awaiting trial for an alleged conspiracy to import thousands of pounds of cocaine and hide the proceeds.
The 53-year-old Fahie could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on all charges, which include allegedly planning to make Tortola a major through-point for drugs and potentially weapons. He has pleaded not guilty to smuggling, money laundering, and racketeering charges.
Kadeem Maynard, 32, who originally claimed to be innocent, pleaded guilty June 23 to one count of conspiracy to import cocaine. Prosecutors had said it was Maynard who brought the scheme to his mother, former BVI Ports Director Oleanvine Pickering Maynard, and Fahie. All three were separately arrested April 28, 2022, while awaiting what they thought was their first smuggling payment, prosecutors said. Like her son, Pickering Maynard, 61, also pleaded guilty, promising to tell authorities everything she knew about the plan.
Federal officials sent the Miami court sentencing recommendations for the Maynards Friday but on Monday, lawyers for Kadeem Maynard hoped to take advantage of new guidelines that could lessen his potential jail time.
On April 5, the United States Sentencing Commission voted to allow lesser sentences for non-violent felons who don’t have prior records and meet other conditions. The new rules aren’t set to be implemented until Nov. 1 but Maynard’s attorney, J. Rafael Rodriguez, asked the court to grant a variance, applying the leniency early. Rodriguez characterized Maynard as a minor player in the plot despite allegedly bragging about a lifetime of drug smuggling on secretly recorded audio tape used as evidence.
“The guidelines calculation overstates the gravity of the offense given defendant’s role in the offense and defendant’s post-arrest conduct demonstrating profound remorse and his active and effective cooperation with the authorities,” Rodriguez told the court.
Both Maynards are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 21. Fahie’s trial has been pushed back to January.
