Two men from Atlanta made their first appearance in District Court on St. Thomas and were charged in separate complaints with possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Sierra Wimberly, 25, and Noelle Bishopel, 27, both appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller.
According to U.S. Attorney Ronald W. Sharpe, Wimberly and Bishopel were both released on unsecured $10,000 bonds pending further proceedings.
According to the complaints, on Saturday a U.S. Customs and Border Protection K-9 at the Cyril E. King Airport detected narcotics in checked bags belonging to Wimberly and Bishopel. The two men both arrived on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta. When Wimberly and Bishopel deplaned, they were taken to secondary inspection where their checked bags were examined. CBP officers seized and field-tested approximately 4.9 kilograms of marijuana from Wimberly’s bag and approximately 10.25 kilograms of marijuana from Bishopel’s bag.
Under federal law if convicted of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, Wimberly and Bishopel each face a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This case is being investigated by CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Everard Potter.
