CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A man was arrested at the St. Thomas airport and charged with smuggling 12.1 pounds of cocaine, authorities said.
According to U.S. District Court documents, Tyree “Ballers Man” Morton transported cocaine, weighing approximately 5.5 kilograms, including packaging, from a location within the Cyril E. King airport to another location within the airport.
Morton is charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a) & (b)(1)(B)(ii)
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Morton said on social media that he graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School (CAHS) and attends the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI).
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.