Gibbs Bully, 52, of St. Croix, was sentenced on Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in District Count on one count of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Photo: VI Consortium

Chief Judge Wilma A. Lewis sentenced Bully to 18 months imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release, and imposed a fine of $4,000 and a $100 special assessment. Bully was ordered to surrender to the U.S. Marshals on April 15, to serve his sentence.

Bully previously pled guilty to the charge on January 10. According to court documents, his codefendant travelled on an American Airlines flight from Miami, Florida, to St. Croix via the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. Mr. Bully solicited, aided and abetted his codefendant in checking one box onto the flight containing five separate vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana, weighing approximately 4.5 kilograms.

Once the codefendant arrived in St. Croix, Bully retrieved the box containing the marijuana from the baggage carousel. He was immediately detained by Customs and Border Protection officers.

The case was investigated Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security, and the marijuana was analysed by the DEA Southeast Crime Laboratory in Miami. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.