ST. THOMAS, USVI (CW69 News at 10)
PRESS RELEASE:
Keenan Powell-Ryder, 24, was sentenced today following his guilty plea for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy, sentenced Powell-Ryder to 21 months incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $100 as a special assessment.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2016, Powell-Ryder travelled on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to St. Thomas with secreted bundles of marijuana in his checked luggage. After the flight landed at the Cyril E. King Airport, a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to a bag belonging to Powell-Ryder. Officers opened the bag and discovered approximately 15 kilograms of marijuana wrapped in cellophane plastic. Powell-Ryder ultimately admitted to transporting the marijuana.
The Court released Powell-Ryder pending a November 3, 2016 sentencing hearing. Powell-Ryder absconded, and the Court issued a warrant for his arrest. The United States Marshals Service located Powell-Ryder in Detroit, Michigan in December of 2019, and returned him to the Virgin Islands for sentencing.
