CRUZ BAY — A St. John man who threw caution to the wind while carefreely smoking a joint outside his “lucky” restaurant was arrested on an illegal gun charge.
Lakeem Herbert, 37, was arrested and charged with possession of an illegal firearm,
possession of illegal ammunition, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of
narcotics with intent to distribute, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
VIPD mug shot of Lakeem Herbert, 37, of St. John
The case began at 7:45 p.m., when Special Operations Bureau (SOB) officers were on patrol on Vester Gade Road and observed “Herbert smoking what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette
outside the establishment of La Suerte Restaurant,” according to the VIPD.
As officers approached Herbert they noticed “a strong odor of marijuana” where he was, police said.
“Officers confiscated the marijuana cigarette from Mr. Herbert and advised him of the marijuana law and his rights,” VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said. “Prior to officers frisking Mr. Herbert for officers’ safety, he confessed to having an unlicensed firearm, which officers seized.”
Herbert was immediately placed under arrest by officers with the Special Operations Bureau.
Bail for Herbert was set at $50,000.00. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the St. Thomas jail.
Herbert is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing in Superior Court.
The Superior Court on St. Thomas does not disclose public information about defendants’ future court dates.
La Suerte means “lucky” in Spanish.