Crime

Woman Traveling to St. Croix Arrested After 12.5 Kilograms of Marijuana is Found in Her Luggage; Separately, Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Marijuana Charge

ST. CROIX — A woman traveling to St. Croix from North Carolina was arrested over the weekend after federal law enforcement allegedly found 12.5 kilograms of marijuana in her luggage. According to U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert, Cynthia Ines Fernandes, age 33 of St. Augustine, Florida, was arrested on November 6 on St. Croix on criminal charges relating to her travel to the island from Charlotte, North Carolina via airline. According to court documents, she possessed two checked bags that contained 13 individually vacuum-wrapped bags with approximately 12.5 kilograms of a green leafy substance which tested positive for marijuana. Court documents allege that Fernandes possessed with the intent to distribute the 13 individually wrapped vacuum sealed packages of marijuana, found wrapped in between clothing. An initial appearance was conducted on November 8 before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon, Jr., who set a preliminary hearing date of November 18 at 9:00 ...