The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Virgin Islands, which only on Tuesday convicted Nathaniel Thomas, Jr. of St. Croix on reckless endangerment and firearm changes, issued a notice informing the public that Mr. Thomas was being sought by U.S. Marshals after he escaped from the Golden Grove Correctional Facility on Thursday night.
A reward of $5,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.
The marshals warn that Mr. Thomas, who also uses the alias “Jahreek” or “Ringo”, should be considered armed and dangerous. He is a 28-year-old black male who stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs 120 pounds, and has hazel eyes and brown hair, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Thomas’s information has been placed in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which should alert law enforcement of his presence anywhere in the continental U.S. and its territories if Mr. Thomas either attempts to travel through ports, or has a run-in with police.
A federal jury on Tuesday found Mr. Thomas guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangerment, according to U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert.
Mr. Thomas is facing up to 10 years in prison for the felon in possession count of conviction, a mandatory minimum of fifteen years and up to twenty years in prison on the unlawful possession count and up to five years in prison on the reckless endangerment count.
According to two Golden Grove sources, Mr. Thomas escaped after cutting through a fence. It was unclear as to how he got out of the unit he was being held in.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Mr. Thomas, who had turned himself in after the V.I.P.D. posted a wanted notice, drove a vehicle into the Gas For Less Service Station on St. Croix in the early morning hours on May 15, 2016. He was followed by individuals in a Ford Explorer. Mr. Thomas stopped his car, came out and hid between nearby vehicles as the Explorer shifted into reverse. At this point shots were being discharged. When the Explorer started to leave the service station, Mr. Thomas chased the Explorer on foot while discharging shots toward the vehicle. He subsequently returned to his own vehicle and left the scene. Individuals in the area ran for cover and hid during the shooting. Over fifty spent shell casings were subsequently recovered from the crime scene, many of which were located on the nearby Queen Mary Highway.
After the shooting episode, the Explorer collided with two vehicles and came to rest nearby. Bullet holes were discovered in the windshield, on the driver side, and at the rear of the Explorer. Trial testimony established that Thomas was not authorized to possess a firearm and had previously been convicted of a felony offense, according to the evidence presented in court.
According to V.I.P.D. Commissioner Delroy Richards, police were dispatched to Golden Grove after receiving notification that Mr. Thomas had escaped on Thursday. He said the V.I.P.D would assist B.O.C.’s own response team in searching for the prisoner who, as of Friday, had not been captured.
Tags: Jr., Nathaniel Thomas
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