Marshall D. Miller, age 44, of Illinois, was sentenced Monday to time served – 69 days – in prison for simple possession of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert.
Magistrate Judge George W. Cannon also sentenced Miller to a term of supervised release to end upon completion of an inpatient substance abuse program at The Village, Virgin Islands Partners in Recovery, but not to exceed one year, and ordered him to pay a fine of $1,000 and a special assessment of $25.
According to court records, a Virgin Islands police officer encountered Miller on Jan. 7 as he walked towards the Limetree Bay housing facilities in St. Croix. The officer noticed that Miller was wobbling and appeared “strange.” The officer approached and inquired whether Miller required assistance and eventually called the ambulance for him. While awaiting arrival of the ambulance, Miller withdrew five plastic baggies from his pockets and threw them on the ground. The baggies contained fentanyl weighing about .7 grams.
Miller had arrived in St. Croix from Illinois in December 2019 and was employed by a subcontractor of Limetree Bay. He was a resident of the Limetree Bay housing facility.
This case is the first federal case filed in the Virgin Islands involving fentanyl. In an effort to avoid an adverse impact of the deadly street drug on the Virgin Islands community, the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who possess or sell it. Anyone with information that can assist investigators regarding fentanyl or other illegal drugs is encouraged to contact the DEA online tip line.
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alphonso G. Andrews, Jr.
