A BVI National was arrested on Dec. 28, 2021, in St. Thomas, USVI
on a criminal charge when he allegedly failed to stop his vessel when ordered to do so by United States Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine (“CBP-AMO”) agents.
According to court documents, William Malone was operating a vessel in Coral Bay, St. John, on Dec. 28, 2021. CBP-AMO agents activated their blue lights and sirens to stop Malone’s vessel and verbally ordered him to stop the vessel.
According to the CBP-AMO agents, Malone did not comply, at which point the agents fired several warning rounds and, when Malone did not stop, fired a disabling round into his engine. Malone traveled a short distance and then turned off his vessel’s engine.
Malone is charged with failure to heave; if convicted, Malone faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will determine his sentence. In addition, CBP-AMO and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
