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Nisha Charles | February 07, 2023

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Mugshot of Jerome Jeffers. By THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.

ST. THOMAS (VI Consortium) — An illegal migrant from St. Kitts & Nevis was arrested on Sunday after police say he intimidated members of the public with a gun. 

On February 5, police responded to the Lima Shopping Plaza, after receiving a report that a man in a 2013 Honda CRV was in the parking lot who flashed a firearm at bystanders before putting it away in the SUV. Central Dispatch advised the officers that a man had been exhibiting the same behavior at the same location in the same gray CRV after being involved in an auto collision in January. 

When officers arrived at the location, one of them recognized Jerome “Balboa” Jeffers standing on the sidewalk near the Honda – he had been one of the responding officers to the previous incident. At the time, despite the reports that he had been brandishing a firearm, police found no evidence of such. Additionally, the parties involved in the collision reportedly said they had reached an agreement between them, and thus the officer in question dropped the matter. 

Jeffers locked the door of the CRV as police drew near, and answered in the negative when asked if he owned the vehicle, reportedly telling them that it “belonged to some woman,” who was later determined to be his girlfriend. However he did admit that he was operating the vehicle when the officer rephrased his question.

The officer says he looked through the closed driver’s side window and saw a green leafy substance in plain sight, which later turned out to be marijuana. On the floorboard near the driver’s seat was what was later identified as a Glock 26 9mm pistol, containing 12 rounds of ammunition. When questioned, Jeffers reportedly readily admitted to not having a license to carry a firearm in the territory. The search also yielded $165 in cash, 12 individually packaged baggies of marijuana, and a measuring scale. 

Apart from not having a license for the Glock, a preliminary investigation into Jeffers found that he did not hold legal status to be in the country. He was then arrested and charged with constructive possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of ammunition and possession with intent to distribute. 

Jeffers appeared in court for his advisement hearing on  February 6, 2023.