More than 20 police officers on Monday raided the Eagle Mini Mart on King Street in Frederiksted, executing five warrants, after at least two store employees allegedly bought gold for cash in violation of territorial and federal laws.
In announcing the raid, St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Christopher Howell said the Eagle had been the target of two visits by an undercover officer attempting to sell gold. Howell said in both cases the undercover officer told the clerk – a different person each time – that the gold was not his and he “needed to move it quickly.” In both cases, Howell said, the officer was given cash for the gold without any questions—and without having to show any identification—which is required by law.
Howell said one of the two clerks told the agent, “I could get in trouble for this,” but bought the gold anyway.
Howell added that three juveniles arrested for a Sunday night burglary told police they had taken gold and sold it to the Eagle immediately after the robbery.
No one was arrested in Monday’s raid, Howell said, although the investigation is ongoing. A call from The Source to the convenience store Monday afternoon went unanswered. Howell said the owners of the business, who he did not name, were cooperating, but added that the two targets of the raid, the clerks who allegedly made the suspect transactions, are related to the owners.
On March 27, Howell held a press conference at police headquarters in which he warned that "cash-for-gold” operations were fueling crime in the territory. He said the department was going to crack down on dealers to make sure they are licensed and following the laws.
Howell said Monday that in the week leading up to the March press conference, police visited all the cash-for-gold dealers on St. Croix, checking their credentials and presenting them with a copy of the rules governing the business and forms for registering each transaction, as required by law.
At those meetings, he said, the dealers signed receipts to show that they understood the rules and had the transaction forms, and were given the opportunity to ask any questions.
The vast majority of the dealers have been following the rules, Howell said. But not all.
That’s when police sent the undercover agent to the Eagle. Howell said that not only did the transactions not conform to the requirements, but the transaction forms were never filed with the police department either.
After a sale of gold, the dealer is required to report it, then hold the piece for 10 days so that police can check that it is legitimate and does not match any reportedly stolen jewelry. Since both undercover operations happened within the 10-day waiting period, Howell said the Eagle’s owners will apparently have committed another infraction if they cannot produce the police department’s gold.
With the current price of gold well over $1,100 an ounce, Howell said burglaries and even murders are being committed to acquire gold. The deputy chief said that, with the connection between local crimes and the cash-for-gold trade, failing to comply with the applicable laws are “about as irresponsible as you can get.”
