U.S. Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon arraigned 34-year-old Michael Velez on Thursday after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging him with manufacture of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.
The court released Velez on a $25,000 unsecured bond.
The two-count indictment is the result of investigative work by a joint local/federal task force comprising the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the V.I. Police Department. The charges stem from a search warrant that was executed at 4-0 Catherine’s Rest, St. Croix, on Jan. 29.
If convicted, Velez faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison for each of the two counts.