U.S. Department of Justice

St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty To Illegal Gun Possession After Fleeing U.S. Customs At Red Hook
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man who fled the Customs inspection area in Red Hook and left a handgun in a backpack behind, pleaded guilty to illegal gun charges in federal court Tuesday, authorities said. Javier Enrique Lima pled guilty to possessing and transporting a firearm with an obliterated

U.S. Attorney Encourages Victims Of COVID-19 Fraud To Report Cases Of Abuse
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert of the District of the Virgin Islands today urged the public to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you can report it without

St. Croix Man Had Unlicensed Gun, Ammunition At Sugar Mill Estates Today: VIPD
FREDERIKSTED — Police discovered an unlicensed firearm and ammunition in a St. Croix home while executing a search warrant early this morning, authorities said. D’Andre George, 20, of Sugar Mill Estates was arrested at 3:47 a.m. today and charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession or sale of

St. Thomas Man Charged With 3 Counts of Illegal Gun Possession By Feds: USAO
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man who was observed on a home surveillance video putting a gun in a duffel bag near a public school has been charged with three counts of illegal gun possession, authorities said. Akeem Julien, 24, of Hospital Ground, has been charged in a criminal

Woman Arrested At St. Thomas Airport With 11 Pounds Of Marijuana In Luggage
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A woman was arrested at the St. Thomas airport for trying to smuggle at least 11 pounds of marijuana into the territory, federal authorities said. A criminal complaint has been filed against Raquel Rivera for attempting to smuggle the marijuana into St. Thomas, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F.

CPB-AMO Agents Capture 3 Puerto Rican Men With $1.1 Million In Cash On Board Vessel In St. Thomas
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Three Puerto Rican men were caught with at least six figures in cash on board a vessel off the coast of a St. Thomas beach last night, federal authorities said. An additional $1 million in cash was found floating in the water next to the boat. Jose

Hospital Ground Man Nabbed At CEK Airport Trying To Leave With Gun In Duffel Bag: VIPD
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man who apparently wasn’t aware that Hospital Ground is under increased surveillance has been arrested on illegal gun charges, authorities said. Akeem Dijhani Julien, 24, of Hospital Ground, was arrested about 4:45 p.m. Sunday and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, the Virgin

USAO Gets $2,932,867 Award To Address COVID-19 Pandemic In The Territory
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced today that the U.S. Virgin Islands received $2,932,867 in U.S. Department of Justice grants to respond to the challenges posed by the outbreak of COVID-19. The grant, awarded to the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission (LEPC), is available under

Taxpayers Warned To Be On The Lookout For ‘Possible Scams Relating To COVID-19’
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert, Special Agent in Charge Michael J. De Palma of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Director Joel A. Lee of the VI Bureau of Internal Revenue and V.I. Attorney General Denise N. George today warned taxpayers to be alert to

St. Thomas TSA Officer Dies Of COVID-19 In Atlanta, Georgia On Monday
ATLANTA — A Transportation Security Administration security screener from St. Thomas who worked at the domestic terminal of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has died of the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday. TSA Officer Dian Phipps, 32, of Charlotte Amalie died Monday after getting sick with COVID-19. TSA is an agency of the