SOB TRAFFIC STOP: Midnight Bust On Raadets Gade Reveals Concealed FNS-9C Pistol Hidden In Backpack For ‘Protection’
By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun News Reporter
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A routine traffic stop for a red-light violation on the St. Thomas Waterfront escalated into a felony arrest early Saturday morning after patrol officers detected narcotics and subsequently discovered a concealed 9mm handgun hidden inside a Swiss-branded backpack. The driver, identified as Jeffrey Lewis Jr., reportedly confessed to booking officers that he carried the unlicensed firearm specifically for personal protection.
The arrest occurred at approximately 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2026, as Police Officers Cindy Claudio and Brad Francis were conducting routine mobile patrols along Veterans Drive. While idling in the eastbound lane at the intersection of Veterans Drive and Raadets Gade, both officers witnessed a blue Toyota SUV traveling westbound plow directly through a steady red stop light at the intersection. The officers immediately activated their emergency lights and executed a traffic stop on the SUV, which bore the license tag THA-354.
Upon pulling over, the driver, Lewis, immediately exited the vehicle, prompting Officer Claudio to activate her body-worn camera and initiate a protective pat-down for officer safety. When asked point-blank by officers if he was in possession of any weapons or illegal substances, Lewis confessed that he had marijuana hidden in his front pocket. He then pulled a gray pouch from his pants, revealing a medium-sized clear plastic bag containing a green leafy substance that subsequently field-tested positive for marijuana.
The confirmation of narcotics gave officers probable cause to conduct a thorough search of the Toyota’s interior cabin. Resting on the passenger side of the rear seat, Officer Claudio located a blue "SWISS" brand backpack. Upon opening the bag, officers recovered a black FNH FNS-9C 9mm semi-automatic pistol bearing serial number CSU0036340. The weapon was fitted with a twelve-round capacity magazine loaded with live ammunition, including a round chambered in the mechanism, all secured inside a black CYA Supply Company holster.
When asked if he held a valid license to carry a firearm in the Virgin Islands, Lewis admitted he did not possess any such documentation. He was placed under arrest, and Crime Scene Technician Debrah Mahoney was called to process the vehicle and ballistic evidence. Lewis was hit with multiple criminal counts, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and an official traffic citation for passing the red stop light. Bail has been set at seventy-five thousand dollars by order of the Superior Court
TRAFFIC STOP ARREST: Jeffrey Lewis Jr., in a booking photograph provided by the Virgin Islands Police Department following his early morning arrest on Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. Special Operations Bureau units detained Lewis at the intersection of Raadets Gade and Veterans Drive after observing his SUV run a red signal light. A subsequent vehicle search revealed an unlicensed 9 mm handgun and ammunition on the rear seat. (VIPD Booking Photo)
