Two St. Thomas men charged last week with cocaine possession entered not guilty pleas Thursday in Territorial Court and their attorneys asked for jury trials.
Kelvin Pickering and Devaughn "Butch" Todman made a brief appearance before Territorial Court Judge Ishmael Meyers to formally hear the charges against them.
Meyers set discovery for March 10 and any motions arising from the discovery for March 24. He also informed Pickering's attorney, Stephen Brusch, and Todman's attorney, James Derr, that both defendants will be tried together as co-defendants and the case will be heard by Judge Soraya Diase on a date not yet determined.
Both men remain on $50,000 bail pending trial. The pair were arrested after they drove into a police checkpoint in the Wintberg area and officers saw them discard a 5-pound bag of cocaine.
Police officer James Morrishaw had testified in last week's advice-of-rights hearing that he and other police officers were conducting the random roadblock initiative when officers observed a white Toyota 4Runner stop about 50 yards from the checkpoint and then suddenly reverse from the area.
Morrishaw said police officers pursued the vehicle, driven by Todman, and observed Todman get out of the vehicle and dump the cocaine in the bushes.
Todman is unemployed. Pickering is a safety officer at the V.I. Port Authority.
