March 24, 2001 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday implicated an agent of the Narcotics Strike Force in the high-profile 1994 murder of St. Thomas police officer Steven Hodge. According to information filed in District Court on St. Croix by FBI Agent Granville Johnson, Achille Tyson had knowledge about who shot and killed Hodge outside his parents' Lindbergh Bay home.
The documents alleged that Tyson revealed his involvement in the murder through phone conversations while in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. The revelations led to amended charges being brought against Tyson by federal authorities, who originally charged him with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine.
The affidavit stated that "Tyson advised that after a police officer threatened to expose him, the officer, Hodge, was murdered in front of his house."
Tyson said that about eight years ago, he and his associates were stealing drugs from the Police Department when they were observed by a St. Thomas police officer, the affidavit indicated. According to the FBI, the person with whom Tyson was speaking in the monitored telephone conversations was told that "sometimes snitches have to go."
Hodge was killed in a hail of automatic gunfire after being called out of his parents' home shortly after getting off work. Spent casings from at least four automatic weapons were recovered at the scene.
In the months that followed his death, speculation had run high that Hodge intercepted information about illegal drug activity involving local law enforcement officers and that he was expected to provide prosecutors with the information.
No police officers were ever charged but six men were named as his assailants, including Gent Mosby, Elroy Harris, William Vanterpool, Carlos Fleming and Maurice Richardson. The sixth man, Fulbert Mooving, fled to St. Kitts days before his arrest.
The amended complaint filed Friday accused Tyson of heading up a drug trafficking ring that consisted of fellow strike force agents and at least five other men. "Tyson provided drugs to street dealers to sell on consignment with the understanding that he would get a share of the profits," the complaint said.
The FBI accused Tyson of stealing drugs by routinely stopping street-level dealers and confiscating their money, drugs and other personal effects, a violation of their civil rights.
The FBI also said that in other conversations Tyson admitted to threatening or paying off witnesses. In one instance, the affidavit said, Tyson was planning to kill an FBI agent and a former government official if an attempt failed to discredit a witness.
A detention hearing is scheduled Monday when the U.S. Attorney's Office is expected to ask that Tyson be detained without bail pending trial. Tyson turned himself in to authorities on March 5 after learning that a warrant was issued for his arrest on drug charges. He was returned to the territory earlier this week from Florida.
