CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A man on St. Thomas was arrested on a slew of gun charges after a traffic stop yielded a modified, unlicensed firearm.
Andy Thompson was arrested Tuesday and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm among other related charges, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Special Operations Bureau officers in an unmarked police car were waiting at a red light on Rhymer Highway near Cost-U-Lesson Tuesday when a white Acura overtook them and another car, and ran the light, according to the VIPD.
The officers gave chase and eventually pulled the car over near Al Cohen Mall. According to court documents, the officers approached the car and noted two passengers and a driver — later identified as Andy Thompson — as well as an “odor of marijuana emanating from inside of the vehicle.”
Police searched the car and found a jar and multiple bags of marijuana before observing the barrel of a gun on the passenger-side floorboard. All three of the car’s occupants said they did not have a license to carry, and Thompson claimed ownership, according to the charging documents.
The gun was a black Glock 22 .40 caliber with a full-auto switch, making the handgun capable of fully automatic firing, and was loaded with a 15-round magazine. The gun’s frame had no markings, indicating a “ghost” gun — an untraceable firearm assembled from a kit or separate component.
Thompson was arrested and taken to the Richard N. Callwood Command center to be booked and processed. His bail was set at $72,500 pending an advice-of-rights hearing.