CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A Dominican Republic national was sentenced today to three years in prison for his role in the shotgun robbery of the McDonald’s restaurant at Lockhart Gardens last year.
Junior Feliz, 22, was given 36 months in jail for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Gomez also ordered Feliz to serve three years of supervised release, ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment, and perform 300 hours of community service.
On June 6, 2017, Feliz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. According to documents filed in court, on March 25, 2017, members of the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) responded to reports of a robbery at the McDonald’s restaurant in Lockhart Shopping Center.
After an exchange of gunfire, the armed assailants inside the McDonald’s restaurant surrendered to law enforcement and were taken into custody.
Feliz was arrested after the investigation revealed that he was the driver of the getaway vehicle and was involved in the planning, execution, and attempted cover-up of the robbery.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and the VIPD.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid Tejo-Sprotte and former Criminal Chief Christian
Fisanick.