John McCarthy
By: Virgin Islands Free Press News Desk
KINGSHILL — Officers assigned to the Virgin Islands Police Department’s Special Operations Bureau arrested a 26-year-old St. Croix man on weapon and ammunition charges Wednesday following an encounter near a local bar.
The arrest occurred on July 22, 2026, as police were patrolling Midland Road in the vicinity of the Frontline Bar and Restaurant as part of the VIPD’s ongoing “Operation Rapid Response” initiative.
According to police reports, officers conducting routine patrol observed a male—later identified as Jahneal Gilbert—quickly walking away from a black Acura TSX.
When officers approached the vehicle, they observed a black handgun lying in plain view on the front passenger seat through the vehicle’s open driver-side door.
Gilbert was immediately detained by responding officers and admitted ownership of the weapon on site. A subsequent investigation confirmed that Gilbert does not possess a license to carry or own a firearm in the United States or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Police charged Gilbert with Carrying an Unlicensed Firearm (Openly or Concealed) and Possession or Sale of Ammunition.
Bail was set at $50,000. Following booking and processing, Gilbert was unable to post bail and was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility in Golden Grove pending his initial Advice of Rights hearing in Superior Court.
