ST. THOMAS — Kelly Bruney, a 36-year-old resident of St. Thomas, has been sentenced to ten years in federal prison following his guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. The sentence was handed down by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy, as announced Tuesday by United States Attorney Delia L. Smith.
The conviction stems from an operation in which Bruney, alongside co-defendant Yefri Martinez-Herrera, was caught in an undercover sting agreeing to sell 200 kilograms of cocaine to a federal agent. The operation reached its climax on February 3, 2022, when agents executed a search warrant at Bruney’s home in French Town, St. Thomas. During the raid, they confiscated 87 kilograms of cocaine and a firearm. Martinez-Herrera was found concealing himself in a bedroom closet at the time of the search.
The investigation leading to Bruney and Martinez-Herrera’s arrest was a collaborative effort among the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne led the prosecution of the case.
Bruney's sentencing in October 2023 concludes a significant chapter in the efforts to combat drug trafficking within the U.S. Virgin Islands, underscoring the ongoing commitment of federal and local agencies to dismantle narcotics operations and bring those responsible to justice.
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