St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Mailing of a Firearm

St. Croix, USVI – On Thursday, March 24, 2016, Shawki Thomas, 25, pleaded
guilty in federal court before the Honorable George W. Cannon to one count of unlawful mailing of a firearm, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.

According to the plea agreement filed with the court, between August 1, 2015,
and August 14, 2015, Thomas knowingly caused three firearms to be shipped through the U.S. Mail inside of a large screen television. The television and firearms were shipped from Florida to St. Croix.

The defendant faces a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A
sentencing date has been set for July 27, 2016. The defendant remains out of custody pending sentencing.

The charges are the result of investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Stringer.