ST. CROIX MAN SENTENCED TO 102 MONTHS INCARCERATION ON COCAINE POSSESSION CONVICTION

St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Kareme Holst, 46, a St. Croix native and resident of Colorado, was sentenced by District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 102 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release and a fine of $1,000.00, on his conviction of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Holst pleaded guilty on August 25, 2022.

According to court documents, on October 18, 2021, Holst was a ticketed passenger on an American Airlines flight from St. Croix to Miami, FL. During his preboarding inspection at the Henry Rohlsen Airport, Customs and Border Patrol officers discovered approximately three kilograms of cocaine hidden in jars of coconut packed in Holst’s luggage. Officers also found bags of cocaine concealed in the pockets of clothing pack in Holst’s suitcase. When interviewed, Holst admitted that the luggage belonged to him and that he packed each bag.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.