CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A man arriving from Washington D.C. with 11 pounds of marijuana in his carry-on bag told federal authorities that he was offered $15,000 at Ronald Reagan airport to bring the luggage to St. Thomas.
Christopher Lloyd Turnbull of New York has been charged in a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
Turnbull made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller at the De Lugo Federal Building in Charlotte Amalie today.
According to the affidavit submitted in support of the complaint, upon Turnbull’s arrival to the Cyril E. King Airport yesterday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers directed Turnbull to secondary inspection.
Upon searching a black carry-on suitcase in Turnbull’s possession, which Turnbull admitted was his, CBP officers discovered approximately eight different sealed packages containing a green leafy substance that tested
positive for the presence of marijuana.
The parcels had a combined field weight of approximately five kilograms.
Turnbull, who originally departed from the Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., claimed that while he was waiting at the gate for his connecting flight in Charlotte, an unknown man approached him and offered him $15,000 to transport the black carry-on suitcase to St.
Thomas.
Turnbull also claimed that a friend of his (whose last name he did not know) paid for his one-way ticket to St. Thomas.
Turnbull had no accommodations reserved for his stay in St. Thomas and did not know when he would be returning.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charging document, and it is not in and of itself evidence of guilt, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
UPDATE: TURNBULL PLEADS GUILTY TO CHARGES