CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Police officers assigned to the Virgin Islands Crime Initiative (VICI) team conducted a traffic stop after seeing a silver Toyota Corolla run a red light near Wendy’s restaurant in Mandela Circle, authorities said.
When police made a traffic stop of the vehicle about 9:10 p.m. on Thursday they smelled “a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle,” the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Allan Sprauve, 20, was arrested and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of drugs with intent to distribute, according to the VIPD.
“Officers then interviewed the driver and requested to search the vehicle and discovered over 44 packets of marijuana, and one firearm in the center console of the vehicle to include 27 rounds of ammunition,” VIPD spokesman Glen Dratte said.
Bail was set at $25,000. Unable to post bail, Sprauve was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the Farrelly Justice Complex.
“Public Safety is VIPD’s number one priority,” St. Thomas Deputy Police Chief Steven Philip said. “We will continue this joint inter-agency initiative to reduce gun violence within our communities.”