Former Public Works Commissioner Ann Abramson was found guilty Friday by a federal jury of two counts of fraud and acquitted on three others.
Abramson, 74, a St. Croix businesswoman, was found guilty of making false statements and false claims, according to media reports.
She was acquitted on charges of conflict of interest, conspiracy and bribery involving programs that get federal funds.
The jury is to return Saturday morning to deliberate on the remaining seven counts.
The two charges on which Abramson was convicted were related to inflated invoices submitted by contractor Berthill Thomas for repairing the roof of the Arthur Richards Junior High School on St. Croix after Hurricane Marilyn damaged it in September 1995. Abramson as commissioner approved payment for the work.
Thomas pleaded guilty Monday to one count of overcharging the V.I. government for the repairs.
Jurors rejected the prosecutors' claims that Abramson got a $6,500 kickback from Thomas in exchange for giving him the contract for repairing the junior high school and the Finance Department roof on St. Thomas.
