Crime

St. Croix Ramp Agent Sentenced to Four Years for Cocaine Smuggling Through Airport

ST. CROIX — United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced on Monday the sentencing of Charles Rawlins, III, a 39-year-old resident of St. Croix. The sentencing, carried out by District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis, orders Rawlins to serve 48 months in prison. Following his incarceration, Rawlins will undergo three years of supervised release and must complete 100 hours of community service. Additionally, he faces a $2,000 fine and a $200 special assessment. Rawlins' sentencing comes after his guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to possess with Intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with Intent to distribute a controlled substance. His co-defendant, Wayne Jeffers, is scheduled for sentencing by Judge Lewis on December 15, 2023. The case, rooted in a May 2022 incident, involved Jeffers, a 52-year-old Virgin Islands Port Authority Officer stationed at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of May 11, Jeffers placed a...