John McCarthy
By JOHN McCARTHY / V.I. Free Press News Reporter
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A Tennessee tourist’s tropical vacation ended in a federal screening room Wednesday afternoon after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers discovered an undeclared firearm hidden inside his luggage at the Cyril E. King Airport, court documents revealed.
Lee Allen Sumner, of Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested and charged with multiple weapons felonies after an X-ray scanner exposed the weapon as he and his wife attempted to clear security for a departure flight. The high-stakes airport intervention highlights the severe legal consequences facing continental travelers who fail to comply with the Virgin Islands’ strict, localized firearm registration mandates.
The X-Ray Discovery at Secondary Screening
The security sweep began at approximately 12:32 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, when Port Authority Police Officer Lenikka Peru was urgently dispatched via the Port Authority Safety and Security Monitor Office to the CBP Secondary Screening area.
Upon arrival, Port Authority police made contact with CBP Officer E. Charles, who reported that a departing passenger—later identified as Sumner—had failed to declare a firearm upon entering the U.S. Virgin Islands. Furthermore, federal officers noted that Sumner had failed to declare the weapon with his departing carrier, American Airlines.
The breach was initially detected by CBP Officer V. Green, who flagged anomalies during a routine X-ray screening of the couple’s checked baggage. The luggage was immediately pulled from the transit line, and Sumner, accompanied by his wife, Rebecca Elaine Sumner, was escorted under guard to Secondary Screening for a physical inspection. A manual search of the bags quickly confirmed the presence of the handgun and accompanying live rounds.
The ‘In a Rush’ Defense Falls Flat
When questioned by authorities, the Sumners stated they had originally traveled to St. Thomas from Nashville via Miami on Friday, July 3, 2026, utilizing American Airlines. Attempting to explain the presence of the weapon, the couple claimed they had reviewed the airline’s website regarding protocols for traveling with firearms, but insisted they did not understand they were legally required to inform airline staff of the weapon upon check-in.
Turning their attention to their scheduled departure on July 8, the travelers told officers they were simply “in a rush” and “did not think anything about the firearm” while checking in for their return flight.
When asked why they completely bypassed the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) Firearm Kiosk explicitly stationed in the Cyril E. King Baggage Claim area upon their arrival the previous Friday, Sumner claimed total ignorance of the territory’s strict digital declaration laws.
Heavy Felony Charges and $25,000 Bail
Ignorance of the law is not a valid defense in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Officer Peru advised Sumner of the territory’s strict gun possession statutes, read him his constitutional rights, and placed him under arrest on the spot.
Officer Paula Telemaque-Prince of the VIPD Forensic Unit was called to the airport screening terminal to process the scene, photograph the weapon, and take the firearm and ammunition into secure police evidence. Sumner was subsequently transported to the Richard N. Callwood Command, where he was formally booked and processed by Forensic Officer V. Monsanto.
The Attorney General’s office is pursuing severe statutory penalties against the Tennessee resident, filing a criminal complaint containing four distinct counts:
- Failure to Declare a Firearm (Title 23 VIC § 470(a))
- Unlawful Possession of a Firearm (Title 14 VIC § 2253(a))
- Unlawful Possession of Ammunition (Title 14 VIC § 2256(a)(3))
Bail for Sumner was set by judicial order at twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00). Court records indicate that his wife, Rebecca Sumner, was able to successfully post the full cash amount, securing his release from custody. Lee Allen Sumner was formally ordered to appear in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands for his mandatory Advice of Rights hearing on Thursday morning, July 9, 2026, at 9:00 a.m..
