ST. THOMAS — Prosecutors who had asked that Richie Fontaine be given the highest punishment for killing Philip George got their wish on Wednesday when the convicted killer linked to numerous other violent crimes was sentenced to 40 years in prison without parole.
Fontaine, 22, was convicted by a V.I. Superior Court jury in March of voluntary manslaughter, first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
During the gunfight, another man, James King, was shot in the head. He survived the shooting, but the bullet remains lodged in his skull.
On Wednesday, V.I. Superior Court James Carroll III sentenced Fontaine to 10 years for voluntary manslaughter and a concurrent 15-year term for first-degree assault. Fontaine also was given two consecutive terms — 20 years for unauthorized possession of a firearm and five years for reckless endangerment.
“We plan to appeal,” Fontaine attorney James Bernier said outside the courtroom, minutes after his client was sentenced.
Assistant Attorney General Claude Walker was satisfied with the judge’s sentence.
“The defendant was a one-man crime wave. The government’s pleased that the judge imposed the maximum sentence,” Walker said.
Fontaine, a native of Dominica, originally was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
Am from grand bay born and grow living overseas and based on what I inferred from those comments is that only grand bay people committing crimes in stt and some people on their rejoicing but remember Richie parents never sent him and do no crime thats not his parents wish. So for those of you who got kids and relatives I believe you should pray 🙏for them so that they don’t do worse than Richie and for you all not to be on dno seeking empathy. I knew Richie and all the crimes committed on St Thomas was not done by him or grandbayrians. Not we that bomb the world trade centre so people commit crimes everywhere so don’t sit there and feel brave because you on your phone typing so no one don’t knows who you are and condemn grand bay people because not killing alone is crimes remember that. I don’t condone no form of violence but to stay there and wash all you a.. on grand bay when no of you are without blemish.
what did you think killing my cousin was gonna go unnoticed i wish they government would give me the opportunity to visit you every morning because you would lose a fingernail every morning and then your toenail that is just the begining lesson learned
DO THE CRIME PAY THE TIME//.
In America that would have been life.. He will still be well enough to commit crimes at 62..
WELL I HOPE HE WALK WITH VASELINE CUZ IS BURGAR TIME LET HIM ASK HIS SELF WHAT DID IT PROFIT HIM AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE ON THIS CRIME WAVE LOL
MR IS A BORN AND BRED GRANDBARIAN
u think all grandbay people are the same?every part of da has some sort of A..HOLE,and i dont think u are any better than anyone i know in grandbay,am from marigot and there are so many of them there.
This not the time to rejoice in these things,people like this need prayers and support,what makes people lik him the way he may be noone ever even gave him the chance to see another way to life.
A..HOLES like you will always remain as you are,some dominicans are so damn stupid.
As a mother i do feel the pain his mother must be feeling ,but at the same time i would like to know that he never ever gets a day out from jail.Stupid fool why go to an other mans land and do so much crap? didnt you migrate to do better than you did back home? fool i know you will never get to read this but as you make your bed so you lay in it.No worries now for us out here now that you are locked up for a while,but is the bad name you helping bring Dominicans down .Dominicans that are migrating dont need that mess in their life and now you make them look like they all are criminals.To those out there please keep a focused mind and stay away from trouble.
we should not condem , yes he made a mistake, and i hope that the time spent he will reflect on his actions, who leaves in glass houses should not throw stones
did you say that the man made a mistake ?…well he made that mistake too many times
That lil waste of time is from Grand Bay…. But don’t even think about saying Grand Bay again cause most of Grand Bay people in St.Thomas don’t do crime . Richie is involved in a lot more crimes,even other murders,so the police know they had to get him asap.From a lil quiet boy in d/a then gone usvi and playing gangster well stay in prison now with the rest of them gangsters…I hope he never comes out….
He should b hanging by his balls for fourty years.
where his pics,grand bay man wat u expect
A life is GONE, a life will NEVER be what it was meant to be; the result is LESS than expected but it is what it is. The decision was made. CRIME don’t go without PUNISHMENT.
ITASSIAN, WOW!!! You do your HOMEWORK.
That is no jail man.The man should be sentenced to death..We are not serious in these small islands.
it has took many years,but sucker you are paying for every thing now.mothers talk to your children.
Where you expect Richie to be from? Grand Bay.
THOSE GUYS ARE LAZY THEY WANT TO BLING AND DONT WANT TO WORK HARD.SUMMER IS COMING SO THEY WANT TO IMPRESS THE YOUNG LADIES IN D.A. SO THEY ARE DOING ANY THING TO LOOK GOOD.
THEY SHOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM 60YEAR, SO WHEN HE COMES OUT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN TRANSFERED STRAIGHT TO THE DOMINICA IMFIRMARY………….
LOL LOL
they should transfere him strait to the infirmary……lol…lol
Does any body know this guy? what village is he from? when did move to the usvi
me self don’t even want to know. Is best he stay in USVI and rotten. I hope he loses all his appeals. If is bad he playing bad, it always have somebody that “badder” than him.
he is from GRANDBAY
He’s from Grandbay.
he should get 78 years ( the guy that still have the bullet in his skull is criple for life )so they should add the man age to his sentence ,plus the school boys age
He will be coming Back to Dominica when he finish with his time in jail. What a waste of a human being. We all better do not forget this name because at 62 he can still do alot of crimes. If I am not mistaking this same man was sentence de other day to 15 years for other crimes hopefully the 40 is on top of the 15 for a total of 55 years.
Consider the criminal history of this young man. I still think the authorities were a bit slack with him. He should have been given life in prison without parole so he would never see a gun or never see a night club.
On May 12, V.I. Superior Court Judge Michael Dunston sentenced Fontaine to serve 15 years in prison for the Aug. 14 armed robbery of Edger Francis in Frydendahl during a crime spree targeting several people.
On March 13, Fontaine was convicted by a jury of first-degree robbery, unauthorized use of a firearm during the commission of a first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, first-degree assault and unauthorized use of a firearm during the commission of a first-degree assault.
That was Fontaine’s second conviction for an armed robbery that occurred on Aug. 14.
On Nov. 17, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict on nine of 13 counts that Fontaine faced — one federal charge of a felon in possession of a firearm and local charges of first-degree robbery, second-degree robbery, first-degree assault and related weapons charges — for the robbery of Yully Geron and Julio Martinez. Both men testified that they were robbed at gunpoint of cash, jewelry and cell phones in Tabor and Harmony.
Within 15 minutes of the robbery, Geron and Martinez were at the Four Winds Plaza substation filing a report. They identified Fontaine as one of the robbers but could not identify the other man. Fontaine was arrested shortly afterward. He has not been sentenced on that conviction.
Fontaine also is linked to a number of recent crimes:
• On Jan. 23, he was arrested on charges of first-degree assault, unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition. On that same day, he was charged with reckless endangerment, destruction of property and possession of a dangerous weapon in connection with a Jan. 9 shooting in Smith Bay.
• He was arrested on Aug. 23 and charged in a school bus shooting on May 6 that left a 10-year-old boy injured. Police said an eyewitness identified Fontaine as one of the shooters in the gun battle near E. Benjamin Oliver Elementary School. The shootout occurred as the school was dismissing students. His arrest that day also led to charges of two counts of first-degree robbery, possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, failure to report ammunition and possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. He was found carrying a loaded firearm with a partially obliterated serial number, according to police.
• He faces charges of unauthorized possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment and third-degree assault stemming from a Jan. 3 shooting at Paradise Gate entertainment center.
If He had committed that same crime in Dominica it might not haven even reach TRIAL—-some family member with the right connections would have workout something — u know am damn right— In DA you can get away with literally anything—-connection,connection, connection—(thats our little dirty secret)— A Land with lots of HAPPY, FREE and PROSPEROUS criminals—-but JAH must JUDGE,
THAT’S HOW YOU DO IT. DEAL WITH THESE SO CALLED BAD MAN BY DROPPING THE AXE RIGHT WHERE IT HURTS
Here it is we are applauding the sentencing of this judge in St Thomas and at the same time we are condemning Magistrate Tiyani in Dominica. How much more double-standard can we be?Tiyani, keep doing what you vowed to when you took that oath. Kudos! By the way, I believe in justice. You commit an illegal act, face the fact!
@ precious stones
When you suggest they go back home if they dont have anything constructive to do, I am asuming you are not home, so why would you wish that on your people? I rather they commit their crimes elsewhere than to be doing it in Da. Just a thought.
“Wesley man” These guys should not be commiting these crimes” PERIOD” weather they are in Dominica or not. Cause all they doing is bringing shame to our COUNTRY’S NAME..
run but u cannot hide if only they knew all the other people u kill u would never c outside no more let them big man work u out inside the jail dats where u belong praise God
do the crime u pay the time
Do not put this one outside to clean grass please. learn all you lesson.
richie u needed life allu doing too much things its a shame for deh past few mths dominican that making headline in news in st thomas making us shame alpha ur next allu better take it like a man becouse thats how its going to be
He will only miss 40 Christmas and only 62 years young when he will be back on the streets.
We need some sentencing like that in sxm dutchside and in guadeloupe.
WHEN YOU FEEL YOU BAD TO DO THE CRIME,WELL DO THE TIME TOO
I’m happy and sad at the same time…Such a young guy throwing away his life so crazy but on the flip side I’m happy because he wouldn’t be coming to Dominica anytime soon..Dominica need some of St Thomas judges to lay down the sentences on those pseudo-gangsters we having running around in Dominca listening to vybez kartel and mavado and those other rappers USA and trying to be something they’re not….
DA4LYFE
Thats your problem , you are wrong and being young, playing strong to hold up and kill
people. Take what ever you get.
not enough jail the boy need life time jail
I AGREE WITH YOU 40YRS IS TOO SHORT, JUST NOW MISTER OUT OF JAIL SEEING THE YRS FLYING SO FAST. HE’LL BE SIXTY-TWO WHEN HE GETS OUT STILL YOUNG.. I JUST HOPE HE’LL LEARN HIS LESSON… ALL OF A SUDDEN DOMINICANS JUST MAKING HEADLINE NEW IN THE BVI AND US VIRGIN ISLAND, THESE FELLAS NEED A RUDE AWAKENING. PLEASE FELLAS IF ALYU HAVE NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO DO IN THE DIASPORA GO BACK HOME AND STOP BRINGING SHAME TO YOUR FELLOW DOMINICANS OUT THERE, AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE STOP DRAGGING OUR COUNTRY’S NAME IN THE MUD…. I DO HOPE YOU ASK THE LORD TO FORGIVE YOU AND TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND.