St. Thomas, USVI – A local man has been sentenced to five months in prison for his role in a marijuana trafficking operation.
Melroy Burgan, 25, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana last November. He was sentenced to five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez.
According to the plea documents, on August 17, 2013, Burgan traveled from the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas with three kilograms of marijuana in his suitcase. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detected the marijuana in Burgan’s suitcase, but allowed it to continue through the normal luggage procedures.
Burgan, who lives on St. Thomas, was arrested after he retrieved the suitcase from the luggage carousel. During questioning, he admitted ownership of the suitcase and all of its contents.
The case was investigated by CBP and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ishmael Meyers, Jr.
Burgan’s sentence is a result of his own actions, which put our community at risk. We will continue to work tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle these types of operations, said U.S. Attorney Sharpe.
The sentencing of Melroy Burgan serves as a reminder that our law enforcement agencies are committed to keeping our communities safe from the threat of drugs and crime. We will not tolerate any form of substance trafficking in our territory, said Agent Melendez.
The case is a prime example of the importance of inter-agency cooperation in the fight against crime. The collaboration between CBP and Homeland Security Investigations resulted in the successful prosecution of Burgan.
This case is a testament to the effectiveness of our law enforcement agencies working together to keep our community safe. We will continue to work together to ensure that those who engage in criminal activity are brought to justice, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Ishmael Meyers, Jr.
The case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ishmael Meyers, Jr.
A copy of the plea agreement is available on the U.S. Attorney’s website at www.justice.gov/districtpr/usvi.
For more information, contact U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer, Joy L. Monrose, at (340) 774-2991 or joy.monrose@usdoj.gov.
RELATED: Drug Lord Gets 7 Years
RELATED: DC Gun Trafficker Gets 13 Years
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News