A Virgin Islands Superior Court judge sentenced Leon Swan, 46, to the maximum penalty of nine years in prison for unauthorized possession of body armor by a person convicted of a violent felony and unauthorized possession of ammunition. The sentencing followed Swan’s conviction on both felony charges stemming from a January 2024 domestic violence incident.
Judge Kathleen MacKay issued the sentence on Feb. 20, after law enforcement responded to a domestic disturbance in the Fireburn Hill area of St. Thomas. Officers encountered Swan wearing a military-style tactical helmet and black bulletproof body armor while making repeated threats to kill both officers and family members at the scene, according to the press release.
A National Crime Information Center check revealed Swan had prior convictions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice in the Southern District of Florida for Attempting to Export Firearms from the United States and Communicating Threats. Virgin Islands law prohibits violent felons from possessing body armor, the press release stated.
Following the incident, VIPD Detective Danielle Greenaway-Thomas and DOJ Chief of the St. Thomas and St. John Criminal Division H. Timothy Perry secured a no-knock search warrant for Swan’s residence. The VIPD Special Response Team executed the warrant, recovering a black Kevlar helmet, a bulletproof vest, two black ski masks, ammunition, and a black Taurus semi-automatic pistol, the release stated.
