USVI Brothers' Gateway Dispute Escalates
A long-running family business dispute over Gateway Service Station in the USVI has intensified with new court claims that one brother and a cousin have hidden cash revenues and fraudulently transferred property to evade a judgment. The complainant seeks to undo the transfers, freeze assets and force full recognition of his ownership interest after a 2020 settlement and a later partial summary judgment.
A family business dispute over ownership and revenues at the Gateway Service Station in the U.S. Virgin Islands has taken a new turn with allegations that co-managers are hiding cash and fraudulently transferring property to evade a court judgment. According to court records and reporting by Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), Naser Ali filed a new civil complaint alleging that his brother, Mustafa Ali, and cousin Walid Abdallah have concealed Gateway's true income by failing to report substantial cash sales of fuel and consumer merchandise.
The complaint says financial reports understate revenues in order to deprive Naser of his lawful share. The dispute traces to a 2020 lawsuit between the brothers and a settlement that required Mustafa to make flat-rate monthly “lease” payments for seven years, after which Naser would enjoy full ownership interest.
Those payments were made through September 2019, when, Naser says, his ownership was to be honored. He alleges Mustafa ceased paying any funds to him after September 1, 2019. In January, a court issued a partial summary judgment in the 2020 matter upholding the validity of the settlement and Naser's percentage ownership interest in Gateway.
Despite that ruling, the new complaint alleges Mustafa and Abdallah are hoarding and hiding cash to conceal assets and frustrate enforcement of the judgment. The complaint further accuses Mustafa of fraudulently transferring title to his residential property and a rental property to Abdallah in August 2025.
Naser alleges Abdallah is only a nominal title holder and that Mustafa retains beneficial ownership, continues to live at the residence and still pays property taxes. The lawsuit asks the court to declare the transfers fraudulent, to freeze further transfers or sale proceeds, and to grant other remedies to enforce Naser's adjudicated rights.
The original case remains before the courts after multiple unsuccessful mediations. As of press time, defendants Mustafa Ali and Walid Abdallah had not filed a response to the new complaint. Why this matters to BVI residents: family business disputes and allegations of cash concealment are common risks in small island economies where informal cash transactions remain frequent.
Court enforcement of settlements and transparency in financial reporting are key to protecting owners, creditors and employees across the region. The case also underscores the need for clear documentation and legal remedies when ownership and revenue reporting are in dispute. Reporting is based on court records and VINO coverage of the matter.
Primary source: VINO