A Georgia man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert of the District of the Virgin Islands announced.
According to court documents, Ra’Kheel Velasquez, a 24-year-old from Georgia, traveled to St. Croix on a Delta flight originating from Atlanta with checked luggage containing approximately 1.76 kilograms (approximately four pounds) of marijuana in four individually wrapped packages intended for distribution.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Customs Border Protection and Homeland Securities Investigation are investigating the case, Shappert said, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Ortiz is prosecuting.