Mugshot of Dion Johnson. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A total of nine defendants appeared before Magistrate Judge Simone WanHolten Turnbull in the Superior Court on St. Thomas on Monday for their advice of rights hearing.
Among them was the man who allegedly shot and killed a man working for the Department of Public Works who was reportedly on the job at Carnival. The court found that there was sufficient probable cause to support charging 21-year old Dion Johnson with second-degree murder instead of murder in the first degree. Johnson, who stands accused of shooting Alrick Thomas on Saturday, was also charged with first degree assault with intent to commit murder, third-degree assault, voluntary manslaughter, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and first degree reckless endangerment.
His bail was maintained at $1 million.
Meanwhile the five suspects who last Saturday were allegedly caught with four firearms between them, have had the charges modified by the courts. Giovanna Roumou, the lone woman in the group, was released after prosecutors requested the matter be dismissed without prejudice. The others - Jelani Hodge, Taheem Jarvis, Raheem and Isaiah Murray, - now must defend against four counts of possession of a unlicensed firearm, four counts of possession or sale of ammunition, and one count each of possession of an unlicensed firearm within 100 feet of a school, and alteration of identifying marks on prohibited weapons.
There is currently no publicly accessible information on whether the presiding judge maintained or altered Raheem Murray’s initial $200,000 bail requirement for pre-trial release.
The bail requirement for Taheem Jarvis was reduced from an initial $200,000 to $50,000 each,with $10,000 in cash or property required to secure release. Isaiah Murray has a similar financial commitment to make, a reduction of his original $210,000 bail amount.
Arraignments in this matter are set for May 19.
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