Two V.I. Men Sentenced For Marijuana Offenses

Two Virgin Islands men were recently sentenced in the territory’s District Court, one for manufacturing marijuana and other for attempting distribution of the controlled substance, according to press releases issued by U.S. Attorney Ronald Sharpe’s office on Tuesday.

On Thursday, May 26, 2016, Chief Judge Wilma A. Lewis sentenced Raymond Mathurin, 48, of St. Croix to three years of probation, six months of home detention, and a $2,000 fine on one count of manufacturing marijuana.

According to court records, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and the Virgin Islands Police Department (V.I.P.D.) officers executed a search warrant on a plot near Estate Two Friends in St. Croix and found 69 marijuana plants that Mr. Mathurin admitted to growing.

This case was investigated by the DEA and the V.I.P.D., and was prosecuted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rami Badawy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian H. Stringer.

In a separate press release also issued on Tuesday, District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez sentenced Edridge Clyne, 45, of St. Thomas to six months imprisonment followed by six months of home confinement and two years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Judge Gomez ordered Mr. Clyne to pay a $100 special assessment and perform 400 hours of community service.

On February 5, 2016, Mr. Clyne pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana. According to the plea agreement filed with the Court on February 25, 2015, Mr. Clyne visited Tropical Shipping in St. Thomas to pick up a hot water heater and freezer. During a routine inspection, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) canine alerted to the presence of narcotics. CBP officers inspected the containers and discovered a total of 24 kilograms of marijuana hidden inside the appliances.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), CBP and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte.