ST. CROIX -- Dequan Forde, 21, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty on Thursday in District Court to one federal count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
This offense carries a possible sentence of incarceration of up to 5 years, a maximum fine of up to $250,000 dollars, and a term of supervised release of at least 2 years, the District Court said. Sentencing is set for October 9, 2019.
According to court documents, on January 31, 2018, the defendant traveled on American Airlines flight #2317 from Miami, Florida, to St. Croix. Upon his landing at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix, an x-ray examination of Forde’s luggage displayed unusual packaging. A physical examination of the luggage revealed a laundry bag that contained two vacuumed-sealed bags containing suspected marijuana. The luggage was subsequently placed on the baggage carousel where the defendant retrieved it. The total gross weight of the marijuana was approximately 9.40 kilograms, or approximately 20 pounds.
The case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations. The cocaine was analyzed by the DEA Southeast Laboratory in Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston prosecuted the case.
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