Two St. Croix Men Indicted in Castaways Robbery and Homicide

St. Croix, USVI – U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Enock Cole, age 25, and Jiovoni Smith, age 24, were indicted by a federal grand jury for the robbery and homicide that occurred at the Castaways bar and restaurant on St. Croix on November 14, 2018.

The indictment charges Cole and Smith with Hobbs Act Robbery, Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence Resulting in Death, Use of a Minor in a Crime of Violence, and First-Degree Murder. Both men are scheduled to make their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III on February 1, 2024.

If convicted, Cole and Smith face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rhonda Williams-Henry and Daniel H. Huston.

United States Attorney Smith 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 found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.