Latest update April 1st, 2025 5:37 PM
Former US embassy security chief in Jamaica jailed for visa bribe
The former security chief at the United States Embassy in Kingston, David Rainsberger, who admitted to accepting bribes from a Jamaican entertainer, was Tuesday sentenced to one year in prison.
Rainsberger pleaded guilty to charges of receiving unlawful gratuities and making false statements to US authorities, the Jamaican Gleaner has reported.
Jailed: David Rainsberger
The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee in a federal court in Virginia.
The judge also ordered the former US Embassy security chief to serve one year of supervised release.
According to court records, Rainsberger befriended a well-known Jamaican musician whose entry to the US had been barred because of allegations of criminal conduct.
The entertainer is identified only as DB.
The court records also say Rainsberger’s investigation of the Jamaican entertainer resulted in the reinstatement of his visa, which allowed the artiste to travel to the US to take advantage of lucrative performance and recording opportunities.
And it also says Rainsberger also repeatedly accessed, without authority, Department of State visa and passport databases for personal purposes.
The court documents show that in exchange for his visa the musician purchased for Rainsberger two luxury watches, clothes and shoes worth approximately US$3,000.
The former security officer also received free admission to nightclubs, backstage access to concerts and a birthday party hosted by the musician.
This latest incident will follow reports of a US investigation into allegations that Consul Officer at the Georgetown Embassy was involved in a visa racket. In embarrassing allegations, the officer reportedly visited clubs in the city and met with persons of questionable character who worked with him in securing visas for applicants.
It will also come on the heels of a US book on Thomas Carroll, a former Consul Officer who was jailed in a major visa racket here in Guyana. The book has implicated several prominent Guyanese, including police officers and businessmen.
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