ST. CROIX - Five months after Jamaican reggae artist Craig "Serani" Marsh, was robbed outside his Christiansted hotel room, charges against the two men charged with the crime were dismissed.

V.I. Superior Court Presiding Judge Darryl Donohue granted a motion filed by Assistant Attorney General Kippy Roberson asking that the charges against Richard Motta, 50, of Little Hospital Street, Christiansted, and Gregory "DJ Avalanche" Hodge, 29, of Tutu Hi-Rise, St. Thomas, be dropped.

The two men were charged with first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and grand larceny in connection to the Jan. 5 robbery.

In the motion, Roberson said his office was unable at this time to sustain its burden of proof and asked the judge to dismiss the charges without prejudice.

When reached on Wednesday, Roberson said he could not provide additional details. He referred calls to Acting Criminal Chief Melissa Moroney, who did not return calls seeking information.

Hodge's attorney, Jomo Meade, however, said the cases should have been dismissed months ago because Hodge had provided more than a dozen sworn affidavits and video surveillance evidence that proved that Hodge was in St. Thomas playing at a holiday function when the robbery took place.

Motta was arrested on a warrant at St. Thomas' King Airport as he was leaving the territory almost two weeks after the robbery.

Hodge, who works as a disc jockey at FM 105.1, was arrested shortly after he ended his shift at the radio station the next day.

Both men pleaded not guilty to all counts in the case.

According to an affidavit filed in Superior Court by Police Detective Jeffrey Nesbitt, Marsh told police that he had just finished a performance in the Crucian Christmas Festival Village and was dropped off along with two other people by the promoter on the street outside the Best Western Hotel.

As the men approached the room, Marsh said, two masked men pointed a gun at them and demanded their money and jewelry. The men took his gold chain and pendant, valued at about $5,000, as well as two cellular phones.

Police said Marsh's companion, who is not named but is described in the affidavit as Marsh's manager, said the gunmen took a $5,000 chain from him and $9,700 in cash.

The third victim said that as they were dropped off and walked to the room, two men whom she recognized as Hodge and Motta, walked past them in the opposite direction. As they proceeded to the room, she said, she turned and saw Motta pulling a mask over his face and then the two men robbed them.

She said that while robbing them, Motta threatened to murder Marsh but was discouraged by Hodge and the two left.

All three victims picked the two men out of a photo array produced by police.

At the time that Hodge and Motta were arrested, police said more arrests were pending, but to date no other arrests have been made.

Hodge was released on bail while Motta remained jailed unable to post bail that had been set at $135,000.

Hodge has no known criminal record in the territory, but Motta has an extensive criminal history with more than 25 arrests during the last 30 years. He previously has been charged with crimes including assault, murder, robbery, gun possession, weapon possession, grand larceny, rape and vehicle tampering and trespassing.

- Contact reporter Fiona Stokes at 774-8772 or e-mail stokes@dailynews.vi.