ST. THOMAS, USVI – Two St. Thomian men are headed to federal prison after receiving 15-year sentences for illegally possessing a cache of firearms. Romeo Walter, 42, and Kenan Thomas, 38, were sentenced Thursday, May 29, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy, following a four-day jury trial that found them guilty on multiple counts.
The case stemmed from an April 8, 2020 incident in the Hospital Ground neighborhood of St. Thomas. Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) officers were already on high alert due to a recent homicide in the area when they observed Walter, Thomas, and others attempting to flee as they approached. Surveillance footage revealed the group scaling a railing and transferring two black bags onto the patio of a nearby home. The video clearly showed Kenan Thomas handing a handgun to co-defendant Akeem Julien, who stashed it in one of the bags.
A subsequent search of the bags seized from Thomas after a brief chase revealed a disturbing arsenal: an AK-47 with its serial number deliberately obliterated, a Glock 20 (10mm), a Glock 21 (.45 caliber), and an AR-15 rifle. Over 250 rounds of ammunition were also recovered, with each firearm loaded and ready to fire. Surveillance footage positively identified Walter, Thomas, Julien, and another co-defendant, Nijontea Walker, at the scene.
Judge Molloy imposed a 71-month sentence on Romeo Walter for the federal conviction, to be followed by three years of supervised release. This sentence will run concurrently with the 15-year territorial conviction. Kenan Thomas received a harsher federal sentence of 120 months, also followed by three years of supervised release, with the 15-year territorial sentence to run concurrently. The obliterated serial numbers on the weapons added significantly to the severity of the charges.
Both Akeem Julien and Nijontea Walker previously pleaded guilty to possessing firearms with obliterated serial numbers and received 30-month prison sentences in November 2024 and September 2023, respectively. The investigation was a joint effort between the VIPD, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Payne and Natasha Baker prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
This takedown was part of a larger Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations. OCDETF utilizes a multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach to combat serious crime across the United States. The operation underscores the ongoing federal commitment to stemming the flow of illegal firearms and holding those responsible accountable. More information on OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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