A firearm and drugs were discovered during a routine sobriety checkpoint on St. Croix, the V.I. Police Department reported Sunday.
On Thursday around 11:17 p.m., on East End Road in the vicinity of Green Cay, officers were conducting their second day of the Driving Under the Influence Initiative checkpoint. Officers stopped 36-year-old Mizell A. Taylor driving a green Jeep Cherokee with a passenger in the vehicle, according to the police report.
During the traffic stop, officers smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Taylor was asked to step out of the vehicle and was patted down as a safety precaution when a gun was found on his person. When asked if he has a license to carry a firearm in the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Taylor responded, “No.” A search of the vehicle was conducted and a large sandwich bag containing green leafy substances, which tested positive for marijuana and $20.00, was found, the police report stated.
Taylor was placed under arrest for carrying of a firearm open or concealed, possession or sale of ammunition, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (Marijuana), possession of drug paraphernalia and operating a vehicle without a valid license, the report stated.
Taylor was transported to the Ancilmo D. Marshall Command Police Station, where he was advised of his Miranda Warnings and his bail was set at $50,000. Unable to post bail, he was transported to the Wilbur H. Francis Command for booking and then to John A. Bell Correctional Facility pending his advice of rights hearing, police said.
