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UPDATE: VI resident Shannon John pleads guilty to cocaine charges in USVI

- now faces mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison
United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Wednesday, December 14, 2022, that Shannon John, 37, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Photo: Facebook
Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory analysis later confirmed that the bales recovered from the vessel contained approximately 567 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. Photo: Huffington Post/File
Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory analysis later confirmed that the bales recovered from the vessel contained approximately 567 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. Photo: Huffington Post/File
Two men from Tortola, Virgin Islands pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States when they appeared in a US Virgin Islands (USVI) court on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Photo: VIC
Two men from Tortola, Virgin Islands pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States when they appeared in a US Virgin Islands (USVI) court on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Photo: VIC
FREDERIKSTED, St Croix, USVI- A man from Tortola, [British] Virgin Islands has pleaded guilty to cocaine charges in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) and is now facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Wednesday, December 14, 2022, that Shannon John, 37, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

Four men were found on the vessel intercepted by USVI authorities on January 9, 2022.

Sean John and Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron already pleaded guilty on December 7, 2022.

The 4th person on the vessel was identified as Augusto Rodriguez-Molina.

 Approximately 567kg of cocaine hydrochloride was found on the vessel.

See previous article published December 8, 2022

2 VI men caught with cocaine on vessel plead guilty in USVI

- Sean John & Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron were caught with approximately 567kg of cocaine hydrochloride in January 2022

Two men from Tortola, Virgin Islands pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine while on board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States when they appeared in a US Virgin Islands (USVI) court on Wednesday, December 7, 2022.

Sean John, 35, and Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron, 21, both of Tortola, [British] Virgin Islands, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III and are now facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Vessel was intercepted in international waters

According to court documents, on January 9, 2022, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine agents detected a vessel with bales of suspected cocaine in plain view on the deck of the vessel. The vessel was traveling on the northeast side of St Croix heading north towards the [British] Virgin Islands. Upon further investigation, agents encountered a 32-foot Manta low-profile vessel with twin 300 HP outboard engines located at approximately 19 nautical miles northeast of St Croix in international waters in an area known by law enforcement for drug trafficking.

The vessel was dead in the water and displayed no indicia of nationality, flag nor registration, and was determined to be a vessel without nationality, thus subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

Onboard the vessel, agents discovered four occupants later identified as Sean John, Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron, Shannon John, and Augusto Rodriguez-Molina, along with 21 bales wrapped in plastic and encased in rope.

567 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride

Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory analysis later confirmed that the bales recovered from the vessel contained approximately 567 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride.

At sentencing, John and Tolentino-Lebron face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. A federal judge will determine their sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigation, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine and Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz.

According to news outlets out of the USVI, this prosecution is part of an Organised Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

40 Responses to “UPDATE: VI resident Shannon John pleads guilty to cocaine charges in USVI”

  • rats or state witnesses? (08/12/2022, 09:17) Like (16) Dislike (0) Reply
    Wha happen to the other two?
    • US (08/12/2022, 12:19) Like (21) Dislike (1) Reply
      Don’t worry about the other two. It is only a matter of time before the other two goose is cooked, if it hasn’t been already. You all need to understand, the US Technology is very advance. Stop transporting your drugs through the US. GET CAUGHT AND YOU WILL GET A BUNK AND THREE SQUARES.
    • The other two (15/12/2022, 10:26) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      They pleaded guilty.
    • Lilly (16/12/2022, 11:09) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      Read the article before commenting, and you will find out what "what happened to the other two"
    • Linda (16/12/2022, 22:40) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Let's not forget he has great driving skills too, so how did he get caught? Remember him driving backward to escape the police in Fat Hogs Bay a couple of years ago? LMAO
  • Just saying (08/12/2022, 09:24) Like (7) Dislike (41) Reply
    Free the drew
  • SURVIVAL (08/12/2022, 09:35) Like (12) Dislike (2) Reply
    in a US prison is difficult for 10 years. If these 2 convicted smugglers serve their sentence alive they will still have a few decades of life to reform their criminal past.
  • asking for a friend (08/12/2022, 09:36) Like (2) Dislike (24) Reply
    So that was apart of the agreement with the slow premier to lock up our people?
    • Nininie (09/12/2022, 13:19) Like (10) Dislike (16) Reply
      Not OUR people .
      Tolentino lebron John.....nope
      They are 'non bvislander
      parental ancestry.
      Glad they will be up north getting acquainted with reality.
      • Awesome (15/12/2022, 10:28) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
        And which last name is Fahie. So the question is since all names doing the same thing, who was leading and who was following. No? Cant work it out? Ok
      • @Nininie (15/12/2022, 14:57) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
        If you were born in the BVI your parental ancestry is African. These Islands existed long before they were brought here. The question is, what happened to the indigenous people of these Islands,? Surely their names were not Fahie, Wheatley, Malone, Parsons, Penn, Donovan, Skelton, Oneal, Maduro, Smith, Farser, Varlack and likewise. All these are names of English slave owners (with the exception of Maduro which suggest Spanish bloodline) ..names that were given to or adopted by African slaves who now believe they are the indigenous people of these Islands.
  • Hmm (08/12/2022, 10:01) Like (12) Dislike (7) Reply
    Well I guess he takes the rap so his brother can be free. At least one will be out instead of both being in jail.
    • Greg (10/12/2022, 02:12) Like (20) Dislike (1) Reply
      Both brothers are guilty so why should one take the rap for the other, which is not going to happen since both were smuggling on that boat together. The U.S. is not the BVI and they don't care if you are related. Their children are going to be the ones to suffer since the fathers only cared about themselves making big money to wear big chains. Now they will wear steel chains. SMDH. When will they learn?
    • Linda (15/12/2022, 23:58) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      Wrong, his brother pleaded guilty too. Now their mother and children will see them when they are in their late 40's.
    • Brick (17/12/2022, 08:26) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      They were all found on the boat in the middle of nowhere with the bails in plain sight. There is not much getting out of this.
  • mad max (08/12/2022, 10:12) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
    Who owned the boat?
  • usvi (08/12/2022, 10:15) Like (22) Dislike (0) Reply
    Let’s see if the BVI IS GOING TO SAY THE US SET UP THEIR COCAINE RUNNING BOYS. YOU KEEP RUNNING YOUR DRUGS IN US TERRITORY, YOU WILL BE CAUGHT. THIS IS NOT TORTOLA WHERE THE BORDER IS WIDE OPEN AND A FREE FOR ALL.
    • @usvi (08/12/2022, 12:23) Like (15) Dislike (0) Reply
      Yep, let’s see if they are going to say the US set up their golden boys drug smugglers.
    • @usvi (09/12/2022, 06:08) Like (10) Dislike (2) Reply
      You know one of them is with the the port lady daughter and that's the boy sister right. Both lady and son are with Fahie right now.
  • city boys (08/12/2022, 10:50) Like (17) Dislike (1) Reply
    city boys down 10 points. Waiting for Mika to bring the tea
  • EASY COME / easy GO (08/12/2022, 12:44) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    talk on the streets is , some AH dem will be swimming with Jaws ???? unless they can rUn oN WaTeR ????
    • @easy come, easy go (08/12/2022, 13:08) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
      Lol you got me laughing but for real. let’s see if they can out run Jaws. Lol, just picture them trying to run on water in bare feet fleeing the grip of Jaws.
  • flUffy (08/12/2022, 19:14) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
    Well...they going have company..THE FEDS FINALLY CAME FOR THE WEST BOSS...SO LETS SEE WHO TAKE OVER THE SPOT UP BALO...
  • Who owns baLo ? ???? (08/12/2022, 22:57) Like (0) Dislike (2) Reply
    It is a lot years since we hear of that fellow up there / we got to change the name to ( pupumkin's play peN ) all is welcomed ???? everything is free , food , rooms the scenery I'd fantastic and if you so desire that gentleman will introduce you to his massage therapy live and direct , and all AH dat is 4 free ????
  • Bigger (09/12/2022, 01:14) Like (2) Dislike (6) Reply
    Ye mother fluffy
  • USVI QUEEN (10/12/2022, 16:16) Like (7) Dislike (6) Reply
    You ppl are always quick to judge like u all are in the court rooms with these young men. Rejoice when others fall short but hv more issues in you'll homes.
    Soon free god don't sleep....
  • Bye, bye (15/12/2022, 12:47) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hope you can deal with the frigid cold Weather when they ship you up North where the Weather is frightful when you are not use to cold weather. Sitting in the FEDS playpen is hard on boys from the Islands when they get caught running drugs on THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SOIL.
  • minute man (15/12/2022, 17:07) Like (1) Dislike (5) Reply
    Jack Donkey John.
  • @ easy came & went (15/12/2022, 19:28) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    Well he got away from Jaws , but he will still have a different kind of animal to contend with , the human kind , or learn to take a bath with his orange suit on for the next 10 years , and thats a lot of days and nights , the white lady can't help you now , she already said ~ see ya
  • Iva Biggin (16/12/2022, 08:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Sucked in homie, enjoy being passed around like currency in prison.
  • Hmm (16/12/2022, 13:10) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    i thought the first 2 took the rap so these two could be free? I was wrong?
  • u (16/12/2022, 15:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    It have one in east walking up and pretending like he going to the supermarket to shop he like he sign contract with the police officer no name no warrant
  • Mrs. John (25/09/2024, 22:14) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Everything has its reasons, I miss u see u soon my love , kisses


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