CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A 27-year-old St. Thomas man is facing drug trafficking charges after police said they seized drugs and drug paraphernalia from his vehicle.
Maulique Caines, of Charlotte Amalie, was arrested and charged with possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of illegal narcotics with the Intent to Distribute within one thousand feet of a church (Living Word Family Ministries Church), and possession of drug paraphernalia, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Patrol and Special Operations Bureau officers were conducting traffic enforcement near the Legislature bus stop on Alton Adams Drive at 5:30 p.m. when officers observed a gray Toyota 4-Runner traversing westward with a fully tinted windshield passing the AS1 line, according to the VIPD.
VIPD mug shot of Maulique Caines, 27, of St. Thomas.
The driver, later identified as Maulique Caines, was signaled to pull over to the side of the road, police said.
Approaching the vehicle, the officer noticed a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, according to the VIPD.
Caines was asked if he smoked marijuana and he admitted that he smoked marijuana earlier in the day, police said. He was then advised of the marijuana laws in the Virgin Islands.
“A search of the vehicle was conducted, resulting in the discovery of a significant amount of a
white rock like substance which later field tested positive for crack cocaine, several bags of
edible marijuana candy, and green leafy substance, that later tested positive for marijuana,” VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said. “Drug paraphernalia was also found in the vehicle during the search.”
Caines was immediately cited for excessive front windshield tin passing the AS1 line and multiple drug charges, according to Chichester.
He was advised of his Miranda rights, booked and processed at the Alexander A. Farrelly Criminal Justice Complex.
Bail for Caines was set at $15,000.00 by order of the Court. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the St. Thomas jail.
Caines is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court.