St. Croix Man Arrested On Charges Of Illegal Receipt Of Firearms

St. Croix, USVI – Gregory Williams, Jr., 23, of St. Croix, was arrested today and charged in District Court with illegal receipt of firearms, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and unauthorized possession of firearm, announced United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe. Williams made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cannon and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2015.

Williams was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued after he was indicted by a federal grand jury on Tuesday, March 17, 2015, in three-count indictment.

If convicted of illegal receipt of firearms, Williams faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, he faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of unauthorized possession of a firearm, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The three-count indictment is the result of investigative work by U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami S. Badawy.

United States Attorney Sharpe reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.