CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Virgin Islands Police Department officers taking part in the Virgin Islands Crime Initiative on Tuesday arrested 37-year-old Corey Hunt of Estate Tutu, St. Thomas, and charged him with gun-possession charges, the VIPD reported.
The Crime Initiative is a focused, information and intelligence-led approach to identify violent offenders and violent crimes affecting Virgin Islanders. One of their tactics is to conduct traffic stops, which can lead to more serious charges, according to police.
Hunt was driving near Chester’s Chicken in Smith Bay when officers noticed that he did not have a front license plate on his vehicle. Police initiated a traffic stop on Emile “Milo” Francis Drive at 4:49 p.m. Tuesday.
Officers said they smelled marijuana coming from Hunt’s car and found a Sturm, Ruger & Co. .357 magnum during the search of his vehicle, according to court records.
“During the course of the traffic stop, he was found to be in possession of an illegal firearm, and was placed under arrest as a result,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said.
Hunt was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of Lionel “Smut” Richards Ballpark and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The VIPD did not disclose a bail amount offered. Hunt was remanded to the custody of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island Police Chief Steven Phillip praised the officers of the initiative for the discovery of the firearm and the resulting arrest.
“We will continue to be proactive in reducing gun violence by finding illegal guns,” Phillip said.
He urged the community to call the VIPD with information on crime by calling 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-774-2211, or the paying anonymous tip line Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477 (1-800-222-TIPS).