CHRISTIANSTED — A St. Croix man who had been previously convicted of attempted robbery, pleaded guilty to an illegal gun charge in federal court, authorities said.
Lionel Woodley, 35, of St. Croix, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Cannon, Jr., in U.S. District Court on St. Croix and entered a guilty plea to the charge of felon in possession of firearm, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said Wednesday.
According to court documents, on March 17, 2019, Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) officers stopped the vehicle driven by Woodley at around 11:30 p.m. for failing to observe a stop sign and passing on a double yellow line. During the traffic stop, VIPD officers noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from Woodley’s vehicle.
The officers searched the vehicle and located a revolver in the center console, a bag on the front seat containing approximately 20 grams of marijuana, approximately seven grams of cocaine, along with $105.00, and a scale. Police also found and seized $701 on Woodley’s person.
Woodley did not have a license to possess the firearm and had previously been convicted of the felony offense of Attempted Robbery Second Degree by the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands.
This offense carries a possible sentence of incarceration of up to 10 years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000 dollars, and a term of supervised release of at least 2 years. Sentencing is set for October 1, 2021.
The Virgin Islands Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see:
https://www.justice.gov/psn