News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2004

SEP 4--ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands – Acting United States Attorney Anthony J. Jenkins, District of the U.S. Virgin Islands announced today that a federal grand jury returned a true bill on September 2, 2004, charging ten individuals from St. Thomas with one count t of conspiracy to posses with intent to distribute cocaine and/or heroin. Cocaine is a Schedule II Narcotic Drug Controlled Substance, and heroin is a Schedule I Narcotic Drug Controlled Substance, both in violation of the Controlled Substance Act.

Nine of the ten individuals have been arrested at this point, and are identified as follows: 1) DION BROOKES, DOB 8/9/67, 2) MERVIN DORIVAL, DOB: 7/16/65, 3) ROBERT RAWLINS, DOB 2/3/79, 4) BERNARD GABRIEL, DOB: 11/4/64, 5) CLYDE EDINBOROUGH, JR., DOB 7/22/69, 6) MELEEK SLYVESTOR, DOB 9/18/71, 7) DANNY RAWLINS, DOB 9/27/61, 8) BRENT DONOVAN, DOB 7/24/74, and 9) STEFON WILSON, DOB 10/30/64.

This indictment is the culmination of a year-long investigation, led by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration, into narcotics trafficking at the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Most of the defendants charged work as baggage handlers at the airport, or in a position with similar access to luggage, and are alleged to facilitate the shipment of narcotics to the United States through the airport by loading commercial airplanes with suitcases containing narcotics. Usually, the defendant would place false luggage tags or tags that they had removed from legitimate luggage, onto the suitcases containing narcotics, and then load the drug-filled suitcases onto commercial airline flights. The narcotics were usually shipped to New Jersey, New York, Florida or Pennsylvania.

Each defendant faces a potential mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and a maximum of life, along with five million dollar fine.

Attorney Jenkins thanked Roberto G. Medina, Special Agent-in-Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Jerome M. Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, and VIPD, for their hard work in successfully investigation and bringing this case to fruition, without incident.

Attorney Jenkins emphasized that the Indictment is merely a formal charge, and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until guilt is established at trial.