CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. John man stopped by police for not wearing a seatbelt was arraigned in federal court on a drug possession charge for allegedly having 40 pounds of cocaine in his SUV, authorities said.
Calis Sewer, 24, of Cruz Bay, made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after being charged with possession with intent to distribute 18 kilograms of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Delia L. Smith said. Judge Miller also ordered that Sewer remain in custody pending trial.
According to court documents, on March 21, 2023, Virgin Islands Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop on a Suzuki Vitara driven by and registered to Calis Sewer.
During the stop, a drug canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the trunk of Sewer’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a black duffle bag containing 18 brick-shaped bundles the contents of which tested positive for cocaine.
Prior to the traffic stop, federal agents observed Sewer traveling down the Brown Bay Trail
in St. John’s heading towards the beach, a location known to law enforcement for narcotics and
human smuggling.
About 30 minutes later, Sewer was observed traveling up the trail carrying a large black duffle bag. Thereafter, Sewer was observed at his residence in St. John as he transferred the black duffle bag from a Dodge Journey and placed it inside the Suzuki Vitara.
Sewer then drove the Vitara from his home and boarded the car ferry in St. John. Upon arrival in Red Hook, St. Thomas, VIPD immediately initiated a traffic stop of Sewer’s vehicle which led to the
discovery of a black duffle bag containing 18 bricks of cocaine.
This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO), U.S. Border Patrol (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Edwards.