Eugene Monsanto Jr., Gun Possession, USVI 2024

Eugene Monsanto Jr., 41, of St. Thomas, is headed to federal prison for 17 months after being caught with a loaded .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver while entering the U.S. Virgin Islands. The conviction stems from a routine border inspection that exposed a dangerous breach of federal law — a convicted felon armed and on the move.

On May 30, 2016, Monsanto arrived aboard the M/V Sundance Queen, a ferry arriving from the British Virgin Islands, and presented himself at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Port of Entry on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. What should have been a standard processing turned criminal when a CBP officer discovered the fully loaded revolver stashed inside his carry-on bag.

Monsanto pleaded guilty on October 5, 2016, to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm — a federal offense that carries stiff penalties, especially in a region plagued by gun violence. His prior criminal record disqualified him from legally possessing any firearm, making the discovery at the border a serious federal offense.

District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez handed down the 17-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, Judge Gomez ordered Monsanto to pay a $100 special assessment and complete 300 hours of community service — consequences meant to underscore the gravity of flouting gun control laws.

The investigation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, a key agency in tracking illegal weapons movement across Caribbean territories. Their work, combined with CBP’s frontline vigilance, stopped a loaded firearm from potentially entering local circulation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim L. Chisholm prosecuted the case, reinforcing the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to cracking down on illegal firearms. “This sentence sends a clear message,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe. “We will not tolerate felons bringing guns into our communities — especially through official ports of entry meant to keep us safe.”