Raymond Brown Sentenced To 48 Months In Prison For Use Of A Communication Facility To Facilitate A Federal Drug Crime

St. Thomas, USVI - District Court Judge Curtis V. Gomez today sentenced Raymond Brown to 48 months in prison for use of a communication facility to facilitate a federal drug crime, United States Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe announced.

Brown, 29, was arrested on July 17, 2013, as part of the investigation of Roberto Tapia, Director of the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) Division of Environmental Enforcement and charged on November 7, 2013, in a 69-count third superseding indictment, along with seven other defendants, including Angelo Hill, Hector Alcenio, Angel Negron-Betran, and Eddie Lopez-Lopez, Stephen Torres, Walter Hill, and Edwin Monsanto. On March 27, 2014, Brown was found guilty by a St. Thomas jury to one count of use of a communication facility to facilitate a federal drug crime.

Evidence introduced at trial showed that on December 2, 2012 Brown spoke to Roberto Tapia on a cellular telephone to arrange the distribution and transportation of two kilograms of cocaine. The evidence further showed that Roberto Tapia then transported the cocaine from St. Thomas to a buyer in Puerto Rico.

The case was investigated by the Public Corruption Task Force, which comprises the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Virgin Islands Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); United States Coast Guard; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly B. Lake prosecuted the case.