John Michael Burgos, 20, of St. Thomas, appeared Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller in District Court for an arraignment on an indictment charging him with unlawful possession of a machine gun, U.S. Attorney Gretchen Shappert announced.
After a detention hearing held the same day, Miller ordered Burgos detained.
According to court documents, on Feb. 24, federal agents encountered Burgos in the area of the Tutu Park Mall, where he fled from agents. When Burgos eventually surrendered, agents discovered a 30-round extended magazine in his pants pocket and a fully loaded Glock pistol equipped with an auto sear – a conversion device that renders the weapon fully automatic, which the police equated to a machine gun – on the ground, underneath a van he had been seen crouching behind.
Burgos also had $800,000 cash in a duffle bag in his vehicle, according to the report.
During an interview with federal agents, Burgos admitted that the Glock pistol with the auto sear was his.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Virgin Islands Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Edwards.
