Wahilli James, 28, of St. Croix, was sentenced by District Judge Timothy J. Savage to 72 months of incarceration for his role in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) led by Paul Girard from his prison cell, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Thursday.
As part of his guilty plea, James admitted to participating in two armed robberies on behalf of Girard’s RICO Enterprise – one in St. Thomas and another on St. Croix, according to the press release.
According to court documents, on Sept. 16, 2013, James and other members of the
RICO Enterprise robbed Gems and Gold Corner Jewelry on St Thomas. After entering the jewelry store, one of the robbers held a gun to the owner’s head while James and others robbed the store of a large quantity of jewelry. Again, on Nov. 21, 2013, James and other Enterprise members robbed They Say Bar on St. Croix at gunpoint while wearing face masks to hide their identities. During the armed robbery, the owner of They Say Bar was shot in the head by one of the robbers as he tried to prevent them from entering the bar. James’ sentence of 72 months was adjusted by Judge Savage to give credit for time already served. He was also ordered to pay $161,350 in restitution.
