A St. Thomas man was arrested early Saturday after police said officers found a handgun and ammunition in his vehicle during a traffic stop prompted by a red-light violation.
Jeffrey Lewis Jr. was charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and unauthorized possession of ammunition after officers discovered a 9 mm handgun in his vehicle, according to a Virgin Islands Police Department police report. Bail was set at $75,000.
According to the police report, Special Operations Bureau officers observed a blue Toyota SUV drive through a red traffic signal at the intersection of Raadets Gade and Veterans Drive at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday.
Police said officers stopped the vehicle and conducted a pat-down search for officer safety. During the encounter, Lewis told officers he was in possession of marijuana, according to the report.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a handgun on the back seat, police said. Authorities reported that Lewis did not possess a firearm license.
Lewis was advised of his rights, arrested and transported to the Richard Callwood Command, where he was booked and processed before being turned over to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advice-of-rights hearing, according to police.
The charges are allegations, and Lewis is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
