Nigel Cooper of the Virgin Islands was found guilty of possession of a counterfeit alien registration card or a permanent resident card by a federal jury in St. Thomas, USVI. Photo: VIC

United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced that on February 25, 2026, a jury found Nigel Cooper, 52, of the British Virgin Islands, guilty of possession of a counterfeit alien registration card, commonly known as a “permanent resident card.” District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney presided over the trial.

According to the Virgin Islands Consortium, evidence presented during the proceedings showed that on October 30, 2025, Cooper appeared for inspection at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in Cruz Bay, St. John. A CBP officer testified that Cooper presented a valid BVI passport for entry into the United States. During further inspection, officers discovered a permanent resident card in his wallet.

Counterfeit card bought in Missouri

The government presented evidence that the card bore Cooper’s name and photograph, but the identifying number on the card was registered to a female Chinese national during the trial. 

Cooper had never even applied for or been issued a permanent resident card in the United States. An expert witness in forensic document analysis testified that the card was counterfeit.

Court documents and evidence introduced at trial show that CBP officers learned during an interview with Cooper that he had purchased the permanent resident card from a Missouri store during the summer of 2025.

Cooper faces a maximum possible sentence of ten years in prison. The District Court will schedule a sentencing hearing to determine Cooper’s sentence.