CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Special Operations Bureau officers conducting a routine traffic stop on the waterfront found two St. Thomas men in a vehicle with an illegal weapon and ammunition Saturday night, authorities said.
Shaquani Milliner, 21, of Estate Bovoni Apartments and Taharqa Wade, 20, of Thomasville Cooperative Apartments, were arrested at 9:01 p.m. Saturday and charged with constructive possession of an unlicensed firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
“Officers of the Special Operations Bureau conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Veteran’s Drive. During the course of the traffic stop, a firearm and ammunition was found in the vehicle,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said.
Milliner and Wade were arrested as a result, and a 16-year-old male who was also in the vehicle was taken into protective custody, Derima said.
Bail for Milliner and Wade was set at $50,000 each. Unable to post bail, each man was remanded to the custody of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections (BOC) pending advice-of-rights hearings.
St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island Chief of Police Steven Phillip praised the officers for taking another firearm off the streets.
“Our officers will keep doing everything in our power to confiscate unlicensed firearms on our islands,” Chief Phillip said.
He encouraged members of the community to keep giving the VIPD information to help solve open cases.
Persons with information are urged to call 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at (340) 774-2211 or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-TIPS.
“Remember, if you see something, say something,” the VIPD says.
All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this news article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.