A Dominican Republic national has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison following his arrest last year on drug trafficking and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced Friday.
Ery Rivera Palmer, 39, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy for possession with intent to distribute 75 kilograms of cocaine and for possessing three firearms, including two assault-style rifles without serial numbers.
According to court documents, on August 28, 2024, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations agents, along with Border Patrol, observed two men walking along the trail near Haulover Bay, St. John. One of the men was visibly carrying an assault-style rifle. Minutes later, the men were seen carrying three black duffel bags toward a small parking area, where they entered a gray Acura RDX.
Federal agents, with assistance from the Virgin Islands Police Department, located and stopped the vehicle. Rivera Palmer was one of the two occupants, both of whom matched the earlier description.
As agents approached, two assault-style rifles were visible on the rear passenger floorboard. A third firearm — a Glock .40-caliber pistol with an extended magazine — was recovered from the driver’s side floorboard. In the rear of the vehicle, agents found three duffel bags containing 61 brick-like packages weighing approximately 75 kilograms of cocaine.
