Mugshot of N’Kel Morton. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands announced on Monday that N’Kel Morton, a 30-year-old resident of St. Thomas, has been indicted on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal firearm possession. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury.
According to court documents, the charges against Morton stem from an incident on December 7, 2023, when an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration purchased cocaine from Morton in the Red Hook area of St. Thomas. At the time of his arrest, Morton, who was on supervised release following a prior federal firearm conviction, was found to be in possession of an unlicensed firearm.
The investigation leading to Morton’s indictment was conducted by the DEA in collaboration with the V.I. Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly M. Riley.
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith emphasized that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and that Morton is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
