By Haiti Politic | October 1, 2026
Homeland Security recently shared a post about ICE arresting Jerry Vernelus. Behind that short post is a federal case with seven defendants. We have now read the court docket for all seven. This is what the records show.
A word of caution: an indictment is a list of accusations, not proof. Only the guilty pleas and judgments described below count as findings.
The case in short
In January 2023, a federal grand jury in Miami charged seven men in United States v. Cadet et al., case 23-cr-20033, before Judge Darrin P. Gayles.
Prosecutors said the men used text messages to trade stolen credit-card numbers, debit-card numbers and Social Security numbers between July 2020 and April 2021. The indictment uses initials for victims, not names.
The court papers do not state the defendants’ nationality. The only mention of Haiti comes from the ICE post about Vernelus.
The result: all seven pleaded guilty
Nobody went to trial. Here is what each man received:
| Defendant | Nickname | Born | Total sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Touissant | “Will” | 1996 | 61 months (37 + 24) |
| Eric Cadet | “Exo” | 1996 | 54 months (30 + 24) |
| Jovis St Luc | none listed | 1998 | 45 months (21 + 24) |
| Kerby Joseph | “Migo” | 1995 | 42 months (18 + 24) |
| Damian Woodard | “Damo” | 1997 | 38 months (14 + 24) |
| Jean Saint Ford | “Jean Pierre” | 1997 | 36 months (12 + 24) |
| Jerry Vernelus | “John Ferrari” | 2001 | 24 months (0 + 24) |
Together, that is 300 months, or 25 years. The average is about 43 months per man. Each also got three years of supervised release, except Vernelus, who got one.
What prosecutors say the messages showed
The indictment lists dozens of “acts,” mostly text messages. Some examples of the accusations:
- July 2020: one defendant allegedly texted a photo showing other people’s Social Security numbers.
- Summer 2020: two others allegedly discussed fraudulently filing an unemployment claim.
- October to November 2020: several defendants, including Vernelus, allegedly traded other people’s card numbers.
- November 1, 2020: Vernelus and Cadet allegedly texted about darknet sites selling stolen bank logins and a gift-card scheme.
- Late 2020 to April 2021: more messages, and prosecutors say stolen numbers were found in several defendants’ possession.
Each man faced a conspiracy count, a count of possessing 15 or more stolen account numbers, and several counts of aggravated identity theft. In all, there were 45 counts.
The “two-year rule” that explains the numbers
Federal law sets a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. The judge cannot go lower. It is added on top of the sentence for the fraud counts.
Look at the table again. Every man’s total is 24 months plus whatever the fraud counts added. Touissant’s fraud counts added 37 months. Vernelus’s added zero.
That is the whole difference. Vernelus pleaded guilty to one count only (aggravated identity theft), and prosecutors dropped the other four, including the conspiracy. That left him with the legal minimum. The other six pleaded to the full set of charges.
Each defendant’s record
Wilmington Touissant (61 months, the longest). He appeared in court later than the others, after being brought from Tallahassee in April 2023. He was released on a $150,000 bond with a family co-signer, and pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023. On October 4, 2023, a judge found he broke his release conditions, revoked the bond and sent him to jail. He was sentenced on December 20, 2023. In 2024 he asked for a reduction under a new federal rule, and the judge denied it, citing his current conviction and prior criminal history. He is now listed at McCreary federal prison in Kentucky.
Eric Cadet (54 months). Released on a $150,000 bond. On September 26, 2023, a judge found he violated his release conditions, revoked the bond and jailed him until sentencing. The reasons were stated in court and are not in the docket. He pleaded guilty on September 5, 2023, and was sentenced on December 20. He appealed in January 2024. The file I have does not show how the appeal ended.
Jovis St Luc (45 months). Held without bail by agreement. His lawyer argued against the probation report and asked for a lower sentence, and the court approved money for a private investigator. In 2024 he asked for a reduction under the same federal rule as Touissant. The judge denied it.
Kerby Joseph (42 months). His lawyer argued about how much money the scheme was worth. He appealed in January 2024. On July 1, 2026, the appeals court dismissed the appeal at his own request.
Damian Woodard (38 months). Pleaded guilty October 31, 2023. The judge allowed him to report to prison later, on March 22, 2024, so he was free while waiting.
Jean Saint Ford (36 months). Arrested in Texas, released on a $50,000 bond, and pleaded guilty on September 7, 2023.
The Vernelus story
Six defendants pleaded guilty between September and October 2023. Vernelus took about 25 months to do the same.
- February 21, 2023: arrested and held without bail.
- 2023 to 2024: about 15 trial delays, most requested jointly or without opposition from his own lawyer. He also went through three lawyers, and in August 2023 the judge approved his own request for a new one.
- Phone evidence: his lawyer tried to throw out data taken from his phone. A magistrate judge recommended agreeing, but in November 2024 the trial judge denied the request after prosecutors said some of the evidence also came from other sources, including co-defendants.
- December 2024: at a plea hearing, he said he did not want to plead guilty and asked for a trial.
- February 2025: he wrote the judge by hand. He said he had not approved a delay and opposed any further delays, but also wrote that he was open to plea bargaining.
- March 25, 2025: he pleaded guilty to one count and was sentenced to 24 months, one year of supervised release and a $100 fee. There was no fine and no restitution.
Time served: he had been locked up since February 21, 2023, about 25 months. The judge gave credit for time served. The records suggest he had served about the whole sentence by the time he was sentenced. I cannot see what happened between April 2025 and the ICE arrest.
The immigration order: the judgment says that after prison he must be handed to ICE for removal proceedings. If removed, he cannot return without written permission.
What the ICE post says, and what the files show
The ICE post said Vernelus was convicted of aggravated identity theft, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and resisting an officer without violence.
- Aggravated identity theft: confirmed by the court records.
- Firearm and resisting charges: I did not find these in the files I reviewed. The judgment mentions a separate federal case, 23-00089-CR-DALTON, tied to his supervised release. I have not seen it and cannot confirm what it involves.
- Immigration status: the court papers do not say. The ICE post says he is in custody pending removal proceedings, which means an immigration judge has not necessarily ruled yet.
What readers can take from this
- A plea is a trade. The same scheme produced sentences from 24 to 61 months, depending on charges, timing, conduct while waiting, and the deal.
- Breaking release rules costs time. Two defendants (Cadet and Touissant) lost their bonds after pleading guilty, and they received the two longest sentences.
- For non-citizens, a conviction can mean ICE. Anyone facing charges should speak with a criminal lawyer and an immigration lawyer before pleading.
- Protect your information. Never send Social Security numbers or card numbers by text. Freezing your credit with the three credit bureaus is free.
- Read the whole record. A short social post and a judge’s judgment can tell very different stories.
