Anson Gallaway sentenced for prefab housing fraud costing victims $656K in St. Thomas

A St. Thomas man received 5 years' probation for defrauding 12 families out of $656,911 in a prefab housing scheme. He must pay $4,000 monthly in restitution.

St. Thomas man gets probation for $656K prefab housing fraud

Anson Gallaway, 48, of Estate Frydendal, St. Thomas, was sentenced on July 21, 2025 to five years' supervised probation for Obtaining Money by False Pretense in V.I. Superior Court, usvidoj.com reports. Judge Ernest E. Morris handed down the sentence after Gallaway pleaded guilty on April 30, 2025.

Between February 2020 and December 2021, Gallaway collected payments from twelve individuals and families across St. Thomas and St. Croix for the construction of prefabricated homes under his company, GHL Home Innovations LLC. He never delivered on those contracts.

Payments from victims ranged from just over $1,000 to more than $150,000, totaling $656,911.51 in losses. Before entering his guilty plea, Gallaway had already repaid nearly $100,000. An additional $120,000 was paid prior to sentencing, leaving an outstanding restitution balance of $439,911.51.

As a condition of probation, Gallaway must pay at least $4,000 per month toward that balance, with funds to be distributed quarterly to victims.

"This defendant exploited the hopes of families seeking affordable housing," V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea said. "This judgment ensures accountability, begins the process of rebuilding for the victims of these deceptive and corrupt business practices, and sends a clear message that those who exploit our residents for personal gain will be held accountable."

Rhea credited the work of Acting Deputy Attorney General and Director of the White-Collar Crime Unit Patricia Lynn Pryor Esq., along with Detectives Melissa Rogers, Angela Herbert, Tiffany Tyson, and Ruchella Samuel of the Economic Crimes Unit of the Virgin Islands Police Department.

Source: Google News VI — Crime