Crime

Federal Judge Sends Kai James to Prison in Multi-State Drug Operation Tied to St. Croix Airport and Prison

The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Virgin Islands announced on Tuesday that Kai James, 37, of St. Croix, has been sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for his role in a sprawling drug trafficking organization that smuggled cocaine and marijuana through the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport and into the Golden Grove Correctional Facility. U.S. District Judge Mark A. Kearney handed down the sentence on Tuesday. In addition to the 10-year prison term, James was sentenced to six years of supervised release. James pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Federal prosecutors said he served as a manager and supervisor in a criminal enterprise led by Ivan James, and composed of several other individuals—all of whom have also been sentenced for their roles. According to the US DOJ, the drug trafficking operation was first uncovered in 2013, when corrections officers at the Golden Grove facility seized a cell phone from then-inmate Joh Wi...