St. Thomas, USVI – Romeo Walter, 42, and Kenan Thomas, 38, faced the court on Thursday, May 29, 2025, for their roles in a firearms trafficking ring that authorities have cracked down upon.
The men were sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to serve 15 years each after being found guilty of possessing four firearms as felons and unauthorized possession of a firearm by a felon. The investigation began on April 8, 2020, when Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) officers pursued Walter, Thomas, and two others through the Hospital Ground neighborhood in St. Thomas.
Surveillance video caught the group scaling over a railing into a patio where they were seen passing and concealing firearms. One bag held an AK-47 with a obliterated serial number, while another contained a Glock 20 and a Glock 21, all loaded with rounds of ammunition. The investigation was conducted by VIPD and ATF, leading to the men’s convictions and heavy sentences.
Walter received a total of 71 months for the federal conviction, plus an additional 15 years on the territorial charge. Thomas faced similar penalties, with his sentence also counting the 3 years of supervised release following his prison term. Akeem Julien and Nijontea Walker, who pleaded guilty to related charges, were each sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which has been instrumental in dismantling criminal organizations that threaten the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Payne and Natasha Baker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.
For more information about OCDETF, visit https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Key Facts
- State: Virgin Islands
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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