The deposition of a central figure in the federal case against Davidson and Sasha Charlemagne is set to move forward after it stalled nearly a year ago amid questions about immunity.
The witness, Morris Anselmi, and his co-defendant, Kimberly McCollum, were themselves indicted in 2024 and charged with pocketing half a million dollars in federal Paycheck Protection Program funds. The case against the Charlemagnes stems from a V.I. Housing Finance Authority lumber management contract awarded to Anselmi and McCollum’s company, ISG, and subcontracted to the Charlemagnes’ company, D&S Trucking. Anselmi’s court-ordered deposition in the so-called woodpile case was abruptly halted last year after he exercised his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
During a telephonic status conference with U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney Thursday afternoon, attorney Annabelle Nadler said both Anselmi and McCollum have signed pretrial diversion agreements with the government. Following Thursday’s status conference, Kearney granted a request filed by prosecutors Wednesday to compel Anselmi’s testimony in the woodpile case.
Anselmi “may not refuse to comply based on the privilege against self-incrimination,” according to Kearney’s order, but he will be allowed to confer with his attorney about procedural matters. None of the compelled testimony can be used against Anselmi “in any criminal case, except for a prosecution for perjury, giving a false statement,” or otherwise failing to comply with the judge’s order.
The Paycheck Protection Program-related case against Anselmi and McCollum and the fraud case against the Charlemagnes have both languished in large part because Anselmi has been receiving medical care on the mainland since his indictment more than two years ago. U.S. Marshals formally processed his arrest last month in Texas, and the Charlemagnes’ trial has been scheduled for July.
In the meantime, a third person charged alongside Davidson and Sasha Charlemagne — former V.I. Housing Finance Authority executive Darin Richardson — has already been tried, convicted and sentenced.
