Karime Williams, 36, appeared Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller for a preliminary and detention hearing. Williams was arrested Thursday by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Magistrate Miller ordered Williams detained pending trial.
According to court records, on May 11 officers from the Virgin Islands Police Department, operating in the vicinity of the Cyril E. King Airport, observed a vehicle traveling west on the airport road with neither a front license plate nor headlights. Officers stopped the vehicle and ordered the two occupants to exit the vehicle.
While conducting a pat-down for officer safety, the officers discovered a firearm tucked into the defendant’s waistband. The firearm was a Glock Model 23 pistol equipped with a “Glock Switch,” which converts the handgun into an automatic weapon.
VIPD officers later determined that the defendant had two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking and unauthorized weapons possession.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter.