CHARLOTTE AMALIE – A federal grand jury decided that a British Virgin Islands native must stand trial for allegedly bringing 11 pounds of cocaine by ferry boat to the territory.
A federal Grand Jury today returned an indictment against Shane C. Freeman, 32, of Road Town, Tortola charging him with importing cocaine into the United States with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert said.
The indictment against Freeman alleges that on October 9, 2018, he entered the United States from Tortola by ferry boat with approximately five kilos of cocaine.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) discovered the cocaine while doing a routine inspection of the vessel.
Under federal law, Freeman faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum $10,000,000 fine.
Shappert said that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not in and of itself evidence of guilt.
“Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” she said.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard Potter.