Rehelio Trant, Possession of Firearm by Convicted Felon, USVI 2017

Rehelio Trant, 39, and Gamba Potter, 32, both of St. Thomas, are behind bars again, facing federal charges for possession of a firearm by convicted felons — a crime rooted in a violent 2017 incident. The indictment, unsealed today, alleges the two men pointed guns at victims during a robbery, setting off a years-long investigation that finally landed them in federal court.

Trant and Potter made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller, where they were ordered detained pending further proceedings. Both are scheduled to be arraigned this Friday in the U.S. Virgin Islands district court. No bail was offered, underscoring the seriousness of the charges and their criminal histories.

According to the indictment, on September 8, 2017, the Virgin Islands Police Department responded to a report from two individuals who claimed Trant and Potter had brandished firearms during a robbery. Witnesses said the weapons were pointed directly at them, escalating what began as a theft into a terror-filled confrontation. Evidence gathered in the aftermath confirmed the presence of firearms and linked them to the defendants.

Both men have prior convictions that legally bar them from possessing any firearm. Trant was previously convicted in the District Court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Potter was earlier found guilty in Superior Court of unauthorized possession of a firearm. Neither has ever been licensed to carry a weapon in the U.S. Virgin Islands — a fact federal prosecutors hammered home in announcing the charges.

The charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. While the crime occurred in 2017, the indictment reflects the federal government’s long reach in weapons cases, especially when public safety is compromised by repeat offenders armed and operating in the community.

The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sigrid M. Tejo-Sprotte. U.S. Attorney Gretchen C. F. Shappert emphasized that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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