Ray Martinez must self-surrender to the United States Marshal Service by 10 a.m. Friday to await sentencing on federal bribery and money laundering charges at MDC Guaynabo in Puerto Rico, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Kearney ordered Wednesday, rejecting claims that the former police commissioner requires medical treatment the prison system cannot provide.
Martinez had sought to delay his surrender until his sentencing date in June in a motion his attorneys filed last Friday, claiming he has a root canal scheduled May 7, followed by a crown replacement two weeks later, and is “experiencing symptoms consistent with a kidney infection, including frequent urination, blood in urine and bad pains,” with a renal ultrasound scheduled for Feb. 23.
United States Attorney Adam Sleeper questioned the veracity of those claims and noted that upon Martinez’s conviction following his jury trial in December the government agreed not to seek detention pending sentencing June 9 because he agreed to self-surrender on Feb. 17.
Following a Zoom conference with the prosecution and defense last Friday afternoon to discuss the 11th hour motion, Kearney ordered that both sides file supplemental memoranda by noon Wednesday addressing dental care availability at MDC Guaynabo and the government’s position regarding a short delay to allow Martinez to undergo the renal ultrasound Feb. 23.
The government filed its memorandum Wednesday morning before the deadline but there was nothing on the docket from Martinez’s court-appointed attorneys, Miguel Oppenheimer and Juan F Matos-de Juan of Puerto Rico.
According to the DOJ’s memorandum, the medical director at MDC Guaynabo said arriving inmates undergo a comprehensive intake screening and medical evaluation that includes a dental examination, the facility has a dentist on site and can also coordinate renal ultrasounds through offsite radiology appointments through the Comprehensive Health Services Corporation.
“If, once the defendant has been admitted to MDC Guaynabo, it appears he is unable to receive necessary medical treatment through these established procedures, a motion can be filed requesting that he be transferred to the federal facility in Butner, North Carolina,” which includes a federal correctional institution, a low security correctional institution, a federal prison camp, and a federal medical center, the DOJ said.
Moreover, “all parties had originally agreed on a self-surrender date of February 17, 2026 as an alternative to immediate remand upon conviction. Had the United States known the defendant would attempt to delay this self-surrender on the eve of the agreed upon date, the United States would have moved for detention immediately upon conviction given the specific facts of this case and the defendant’s conduct,” according to the memorandum.
Shortly after noon Wednesday, Kearney ordered Martinez to self-surrender by 10 a.m. Friday, which will allow the U.S. Marshal Service to transport him directly to MDC Guaynabo.
Martinez and former V.I. Office of Management and Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal were found guilty of wire fraud, bribery and money laundering charges Dec. 11, concluding a weeklong federal corruption trial. O’Neal is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. Both have filed motions for judgments of acquittal and new trials.
