St. Croix, USVI -Gerard St. Rose, 24, made his initial appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon in District Court after being charged in a three-count information with Possession of a Firearm Near a School, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of Marijuana With Intent to Distribute Near a School, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced today. St. Rose was released pending trial.
If convicted, St. Rose faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the firearm charges and 10 years on the marijuana charge.
United States Attorney Sharpe reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alphonso Andrews, Jr.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
