Murderer could get 15 years added to life sentence
Published: January 9, 2013
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ST. THOMAS - A V.I. Superior Court judge on Tuesday approved a plea deal under which a 21-year-old man convicted of first-degree murder could have an additional 15 years of jail time added on to a mandatory life sentence.
According to court records, prosecutors on Dec. 10 offered Jamal Fahie a global plea deal consolidating three cases in which he was charged with two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm; unauthorized possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; unauthorized possession of cocaine; attempted first-degree murder; carrying or using a dangerous weapon during the commission of a violent crime; first-degree assault; and third-degree assault.
Fahie agreed to plead guilty to two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm and the third-degree assault charge in exchange for the government dropping the remaining charges.
Fahie and his attorney, David Cattie, agreed to the deal Dec. 14. Judge James Carroll III on Tuesday accepted the plea, ruling Fahie entered into it knowingly and voluntarily.
Assistant Attorney General Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte told the court prosecutors would recommend that Fahie be sentenced to 15 years in jail, to be served consecutive to a mandatory life sentence Fahie is facing on a Nov. 21 first-degree murder conviction.
A Superior Court jury found Fahie guilty of first-degree murder for the November 2011 shooting death of Omari Baltimore. Prosecutors successfully argued that Fahie shot Baltimore 19 times with a Glock on Bunker Hill.
Fahie has not yet been sentenced on that conviction, but first-degree murder convictions carry a mandatory life sentence under V.I. law.
Cattie said following Fahie's November trial that he intended to appeal the murder conviction. The outcome of that appeal would have no affect on the other cases, and the potential 15-year-sentence covered by the global plea.
Carroll scheduled a sentencing hearing on the plea-deal charges for Feb. 12.
- Contact Lou Mattei at 714-9124 or email lmattei@dailynews.vi.
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