Tarik Babrow, age 24, of St. Thomas, appeared before Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon Jr. in District Court and pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Virgin Islands.
According to attorney Gretchen Shappert, on Feb. 11, Babrow and three other people flew into St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on American Airlines flight 2003 from Charlotte, North Carolina. When they arrived, several pieces of luggage were selected for physical inspection after anomalies were reportedly observed while the luggage was examined by an X-ray machine. A search reportedly found several clear, vacuum-sealed bundles containing a green, leafy substance, which later field-tested positive for marijuana.
In total, about 6.33 kilograms of suspected marijuana were seized from Babrow and his companions. Also, $2,871 was seized from him as drug trafficking proceeds. Babrow is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
The U.S. attorney’s statement says a federal District Court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
