CHARLOTTE AMALIE – U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a Trinidad and Tobago national was sentenced today to 17 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after he was removed. According to court documents, Allan Browne, 49, presented himself for inspection in April 2021 atthe Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, […]
Tag: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
St. Croix Man Gets 5 Years In Prison For Moving 4 Pounds of Cocaine Through Airport Bathroom
CHRISTIANSTED — A man was given five years in prison for trying to engineer the movement of 4.4 pounds of cocaine through the St. Croix airport bathroom last year. Keithley Parris, 34, appeared before Visiting U.S. District Court Judge Ann E. Thompson and was sentenced today on one count each of conspiracy to possess cocaine […]
‘High-Tech Stalker’ Stopped At Airport Based On Outstanding Warrant From California: VIPD
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A California man who was dubbed a “high-tech stalker” was detained at the St. Thomas airport Friday based on an outstanding warrant, authorities said. Michael David Kowitz, 56, of Los Gatos, was flagged at the Cyril E. King Airport after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents noticed he was wanted on weapons […]
Dominican and Puerto Rican Indicted By Grand Jury For Bringing Illegal Migrants By Sea
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A federal Grand Jury returned a seven-count Bill of Indictment against Alejo Ocasio Venerio, 31, of Puerto Rico, and Franklyn Grullon Jorge, 44, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, charging them each with transporting illegal aliens on their vessel, United States Attorney Gretchen Shappert said. The Indictment stems from an incident occurring […]
Haitian Illegal Deported From Florida 4 Years Ago Shows Up In St. Thomas Airport On Monday
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A Haitian illegal who was deported from Miami nearly four years ago tried to sneak back into the United States in St. Thomas, authorities said. Dunford Joseph, 36, a citizen of Haiti was arrested on Monday at the Cyril E. King Airport on a criminal charge stemming from his illegal reentry into […]
Dominican National Tries To Enter USA By Using A False Name At CEK Airport
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A citizen of the Dominican Republic was arrested on criminal charges Friday at the Cyril E. King Airport because he gave false information to U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection agents. According to court documents, Luis Miguel Lopez, 28, presented himself to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for inspection at the Cyril E. […]
Plaza Extra Cashier With 167 Pounds Of Marijuana In Luggage Gets No Jail Time
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A former Plaza Extra cashier with 167 pounds of marijuana stashed into three minors’ suitcases traveling with her but not related to her got time served from a federal judge. Idesha Patricia Sterrod, 32, was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release for attempting to smuggle 76 kilograms of […]
Dominican Who Kept Venezuelan Women As Sex Slaves In St. Thomas ‘Dungeon’ Gets 6.5 Years
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A federal judge ordered a Dominican woman to sit in prison for six and 1/2 years and pay nearly $1 million in restitution for her role in a prostitution ring that recruited females as young as 17. Yohanna Gonzalez-McFarlane, 40, of the Dominican Republic, appeared before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert […]
The Price You Sometimes Pay For Human Trafficking, Drug Smuggling Is … Your Life
MIAMI — Little is known about the 40 people believed to have been aboard a boat that capsized and was found this week near Florida’s coast with just one survivor. But they were on a route often traveled by migrants trying to enter the U.S. clandestinely, and authorities suspect the trip was organized by smugglers. Apprehensions of […]
Puerto Rico Man Gets 6 Months In Prison After Bringing $316,930 By Sea To St. Thomas
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A Puerto Rican man who came to St. Thomas with more than $300,000 in cold cash stuffed into the cooler on his boat got less than one year in prison from a federal judge. Blas Sebastian Panzardi Davila, 38, of San Juan, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Molloy to […]