Government of the Virgin Islands of the United States
Government of the Virgin Islands of the United States DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES Press Contact: Ryan Nugent Director of Communications Phone: (340) 725-4924 ryan.nugent@dhs.vi.gov For Immediate Release: January 28, 2026 Statement from the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services Regarding Recent Arrests U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services (VIDHS) has been made aware of the arrests of several employees within its Medical Assistance Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as members of the community, stemming from a local investigation into alleged fraudulent activities. We are deeply troubled by these serious allegations. The Department holds all employees to the highest standards of ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability. Any actions that compromise public trust or undermine the integrity of our mission to serve the people of the Virgin Islands will not be tolerated. We are cooperating fully with local authorities in this matter. …
Download the original document · Plain text (TXT) · Browse the archive · How this archive works
Original source: https://dhs.vi.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/VIDHS-Press-Release-DHS-Responds-to-Employee-Arrests.pdf
SHA-256 797713bca8bf4f7c5a980da2e7d822b479cffcfa2cbd4d5888cf17de15207d38
Re-using this document
territorial public record
Our description, tagging, arrangement, extracted text and machine transcripts are released under CC0 1.0. We assert nothing about the document itself.
Archive identifier LF-797713bca8bf
Document text
Government of the Virgin Islands of the United States DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES Press Contact: Ryan Nugent Director of Communications Phone: (340) 725-4924 ryan.nugent@dhs.vi.gov For Immediate Release: January 28, 2026 Statement from the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services Regarding Recent Arrests U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - The Virgin Islands Department of Human Services (VIDHS) has been made aware of the arrests of several employees within its Medical Assistance Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as members of the community, stemming from a local investigation into alleged fraudulent activities. We are deeply troubled by these serious allegations. The Department holds all employees to the highest standards of ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability. Any actions that compromise public trust or undermine the integrity of our mission to serve the people of the Virgin Islands will not be tolerated. We are cooperating fully with local authorities in this matter. As this is an active investigation, we are limited in what we can share at this time. The investigation was initiated following an internal tip to the Department’s Program Integrity Team, which was subsequently referred to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. DHS wants to assure the public that we are taking immediate steps to strengthen internal oversight and safeguard the programs that support some of the most vulnerable members of our community. The alleged actions of a few do not reflect the commitment of the many hardworking, honest professionals at VIDHS who dedicate themselves daily to public service. We remain focused on our mission and committed to restoring and maintaining the public’s trust. We thank the community for its patience and understanding as this process unfolds. The Department of Human Services (VIDHS) exists to provide social services to members in our community with diverse needs. In times of national uncertainty and hardship we act as a safety-net and exist to inspire hope and empower change through non- judgmental, quality delivery of needed services and resources. The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure, and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government, and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit transparency.vi.gov. ## END## P R E S S R E L E A S E