St. Thomas Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon

St. Thomas, USVI – On Monday, September 14, 2015, Lued Browne, 44, pleaded guilty in District Court on St. Thomas to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced. Sentencing is scheduled for January 4, 2016.

According to the plea agreement filed with the court, on May 22, 2015, Virgin Islands Police Department officers responded to a report that a vehicle was blocking the exit at Antilles School. Upon arrival at the scene, officers observed Browne, the sole occupant of the vehicle, sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. The officers also observed a firearm between the driver’s seat and center console of the vehicle, which they immediately confiscated. Further investigation revealed that Browne has a prior felony conviction and could not legally possess a firearm in the Virgin Islands. Browne faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.