Dominican Republic Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien

St. Thomas, USVI – Cristian Lopez-Moncion, 35, of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty today in federal court on St. Thomas to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, Acting United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett announced.

According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on August 6, 2016, the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) responded to Main Street, after a report of shots fired. Lopez-Moncion admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 9mm firearm. The Glock was examined and determined that it had been modified to operate as a fully automatic firearm. It was determined that Lopez-Moncion is not a legal resident of the United States and is not licensed to possess a firearm in the Virgin Islands.

Lopez-Moncion faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has been set for October 13, 2017.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the VIPD. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.