Press Release
St. Croix Man Sentenced for Resisting a Park Ranger at Fort Christiansvaern
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Virgin Islands
St. Croix, USVI – Uriah Gaston, 36, of St. Croix, was sentenced on September 5, 2018, in District Court on one count of Resisting a Federal Officer, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon, Jr., sentenced Gaston to 90 days of jail time with credit for time served and ordered Gaston to complete a mental and drug treatment program at The Village - Sion Hill Therapeutic Community Program.
Gaston had previously pled guilty to the charge on June 29, 2018.
According to court documents, on January 2, 2018, Gaston created a disturbance at Fort Christiansvaern, at the Christiansted National Historic Site in St. Croix. When Park Ranger Gabriel Laurencin intervened and attempted to identify Gaston, he produced false identification. After being informed that he was going to be frisked for officer safety, Gaston then fled into the Gallows Bay Harbor, ignoring several commands to stop. He again ignored multiple commands to return to shore. Gaston was subsequently returned to shore on the side of a bystander’s dingy and was placed under arrest at that time.
The case was investigated by the United States National Park Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.
Updated September 6, 2018
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