A St. Croix man was sentenced Monday to 51 months in prison, prosecutors say.
Jahseen Simmonds, 30, was sentenced to 51 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000 fine on the charge of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Sept. 3, 2020, VIPD patrolled the John F. Kennedy housing community. As they approached Building 29, officers observed a group of male individuals sitting in the archway of the building. One of those individuals, later identified as Simmonds, immediately ran up the stairs of the building and into an apartment on the second floor.
Officers knocked on the apartment door, and Simmonds exited the apartment and admitted to the officers that he did not live at that address. Police again knocked on the apartment door, and two residents came to the door and said they did not permit Simmonds to enter their apartment.
The residents later provided consent to search their apartment, and officers found a firearm on the apartment’s balcony. The residents stated that the firearm was not on the balcony before Simmonds ran into their apartment and that the firearm did not belong to either of the residents.
An inspection of the firearm revealed that one live 9mm round was chambered and 15 live 9mm rounds were in the magazine. Officers also seized an extended magazine that was loaded with 31 live 9mm rounds.
Simmonds was previously convicted of a felony offense.
The Virgin Islands Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry is prosecuting it.
