CRUZ BAY — A young man lounging in a beach chair in St. John was charged with illegal possession of drugs on Friday night.
Umoja Zohar Sofergreer, 25, of St. Thomas, was arrested and charged with possession of illegal narcotics, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The case began at 8:54 p.m. when the VIPD Special Operations Bureau was conducting an inspection of Cruz Bay Beach in St. John, according to the VIPD.
VIPD mug shot of Zohar Sofergreer, 25, of St. Thomas
While conducting the inspection, officers observed three males sitting on beach chairs one of which was Greer.
As the SOB unit approached the males to advise them of an unstated infraction, officers detected a strong odor of marijuana, while Greer attempted to put something in a backpack that was on his lap, VIPD spokeswoman Sakeeda Freeman said.
“All three individuals were patted down for officer safety,” Freeman said. “Greer was found to have a clear plastic bag containing a brown leafy substance, a lighter, and his phone.”
The SOB unit also found “a used marijuana cigarette” in the chair where Greer was sitting,” according to Freeman.
“He was also found in possession of cocaine and mushrooms,” she said.
Greer was advised of his rights, placed under arrest and taken into official custody.
He was then taken by ferry to St. Thomas and transported to the Richard Callwood Command where he was booked, processed, and released after posting $5,500.00 in bail.
Sofergreer spells his name differently on social media. On Facebook, he lists his name as “Zohar Sofergreer” and says he works as an organic gardener in St. John.
The VIPD said his name is: “Umoja Zohar Sofer Greer.” He is a native of St. John now living in St. Thomas.
This article generated a fair amount of comments on social media, such as this one:
“Meanwhile, there are people selling drugs in front of everyone on the streets of Cruz Bay every night and nothing happens to them,” Tammy Gray Cummings said on Facebook.