Man Charged for Illegal Importation of Firearms on St. Thomas

A St. Thomas man has been arrested and charged with illegally importing firearms, the V.I. Police Department reported Thursday.

An ongoing investigation revealed that Jakel J. Bell engaged in the illegal importation of a firearm without a license and aided and abetted the importation of the firearms(s). Bell also conspired to import the firearms(s) without a license with the assistance of another, according to the police report.

An arrest warrant was issued for 29-year-old Bell and he was taken into custody without incident Thursday, the police report stated.

Bell was charged with importation of a firearm without a license, aiding and abetting and conspiracy to import firearms without a license. Bail was set at $75,000. Bell was unable to post bail and was turned over to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advice of rights hearing, police said.