St. Thomas, USVI - District Court Chief Judge Curtis V. Gomez on May 16, 2013 sentenced business
owners Joseph Thomas Edge and his wife, Laura A. Edge, to six months in prison for attempting to evade
or defeat tax, to be followed by six months of supervised release, announced Ronald W. Sharpe, United
States Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands, and Michael J. DePalma, Acting Special
Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI). Gomez also
ordered the Edges to pay restitution in the amount of $271,674 to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal
Revenue.
Joseph and Laura Edge pleaded guilty on Dec. 12, 2012, to attempting to evade or defeat tax
in violation of Virgin Islands law for the 2004 tax year. The Edges were part owners and operating
partners of Aqua Adventures, a company located on St Thomas that provided water tours. According to
the plea agreement, during the years, 2002 through 2006, the Edges attempted to evade a large part of the
tax due and owing to the IRB by concealing their earned income. They concealed their income by
causing personal debts to be paid through Aqua Adventures, and failing to report to IRB cash payments
the company received from selling merchandise.
The case was investigated by IRS-CI, with assistance from IRB Criminal Investigation
Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Lake.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
