A St. Thomas man with a lengthy criminal history has been arrested for illegal possession of ammunition, police said Tuesday.
Matthew Fontaine, 32, was arrested Monday after police pulled over his black Honda Accord Saturday because it lacked a rear license plate, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.
Fontaine was unable to provide officers with a copy of the vehicle’s registration or proof of insurance, police said. A registration check revealed the vehicle’s registration and insurance were expired. The vehicle was impounded and Fontaine was advised to come back with the proper documents.
“While the officer conducted an inventory search of the vehicle to secure any personal items, a Glock handgun magazine that contained .40 caliber bullets was discovered in the driver side door pocket,” according to police.
Fontaine, who has been a felon since at least 2013, was on probation and prohibited from having any illegal contraband. He was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of ammunition when he arrived at the Alexander Farrelly Justice Complex on Monday.
He was booked, processed, and remanded to the Bureau of Corrections after failing to post bail in the amount of $25,000.
According to court records, Fontaine pleaded guilty to unlawful firearm possession, assault, reckless endangerment, and other crimes in January 2023. In February 2020, he was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and tampering with a vehicle. He pleaded guilty to the first count and, in 2022, was sentenced to two years in prison minus the time he’d already served.
In August 2020, he was charged with aggravated rape of a minor but the charges were dropped in Jun 2021. The victim reported Fontaine threatened her with a firearm during the multiple sexual assaults.
In December 2020, Fontaine was charged with possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
In 2017, Fontaine was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of stolen property and tampering with a vehicle. Court records were not complete, but it appeared Fontaine was convicted of his first felony, unauthorized use of a vehicle, in 2013. He was 21.
