By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter
ST. CROIX — A 31-year-old St. Croix man will spend the next decade in federal prison after firing a gun inside a Christiansted restaurant over a marijuana dispute, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
Terrell E. Johnson, 31, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 120 months of incarceration following his conviction for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentence stems from a terrifying February 2024 encounter inside the Cruzian Bayou Bistro Restaurant, located in the King’s Alley Walk.
The Disallowance of a Joint
According to official court filings submitted by federal prosecutors, Johnson entered the crowded King’s Alley establishment on February 10, 2024, and took a seat at the bar. The situation deteriorated rapidly when Johnson pulled out marijuana and began rolling a cigarette.
When restaurant staff informed him that smoking inside the establishment was strictly prohibited, Johnson became highly irate. Despite a second warning to stop, Johnson refused to comply with the house rules.
The Glock inside the Fanny Pack
Upon being ordered to leave the premises by management, Johnson escalated the compliance dispute into an armed threat. He unzipped a black fanny pack, pulled out a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and pointed it directly at one of the restaurant’s owners while threatening to shoot.
Johnson then fired a single round directly into the ceiling of the establishment. As he fled the King’s Alley area near the boardwalk, he discharged three additional rounds into the open air.
The subsequent multi-agency investigation was spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with critical tactical assistance from the Virgin Islands Police Department. The federal criminal case was successfully prosecuted by Criminal Chief Kyle Payne and Assistant United States Attorney Martin Forrest IV.
Johnson will serve the entirety of his 10-year sentence within the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as there is no parole within the federal justice system.
