Eugene Monsanto Jr., 40, made his initial appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller after being charged in a complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe, Monsanto was released on an unsecured $10,000 bond and to the third-party custody of his mother pending further proceedings.
On Sunday, Monsanto was aboard M/V Sundance Queen, according to the complaint, and presented himself for inspection at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s St. John Port of Entry. A CBP officer conducting a routine inspection allegedly found a fully loaded .38 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver inside Monsanto’s carryon.
Under federal law, if convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Monsanto faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim L. Chisholm.
