ST. THOMAS — Ashan Westcott, 28, of Tortola, British Virgin Islands, pleaded guilty before District Judge Curtis Gomez to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced Tuesday.
According to the plea agreement, on March 2, 2019, the Virgin Islands Police Department responded to a motorcycle and vehicle accident on Turpentine Run Road, St. Thomas. Westcott, who was injured in the accident, was identified as the driver of the motorcycle. In response to an EMT’s request to locate the defendant’s ID, a VIPD officer looked in a backpack Westcott had been wearing at the time of the accident. While looking for the ID, the officer found a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber handgun in Westcott’s backpack.
Westcott is a citizen of Tortola and has a passport issued by the United Kingdom. Westcott is not a citizen or national of the United States and, when found on March 2, 2019, had not applied for status in the United States.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 10, 2019.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith J. Edwards.
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