St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty To Manufacture Of Marijuana

St. Croix, USVI – Michael Velez, 36, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty today in District Court on St. Croix to one count of Manufacture of Marijuana, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.

As part of his plea, Williams admitted that on January 29, 2015 he was the sole resident of 4-0 Catherine’s Rest, St. Croix, where the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) found 204 marijuana plants during the execution of a search warrant. According to court records, law enforcement officers also found cultivation equipment, including lighting, watering mechanisms, and cloning solution, as well as ammunition on the property.

Williams is facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for September 16, 2015.

The case was investigated by the DEA and VIPD, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Stringer.