Routine traffic stop yields arrest on illegal gun, ammunition charges

FREDERIKSTED – A St. Croix man was charged with illegal gun and related charges after a traffic stop yielded a firearm and ammunition, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.

Michael A. Smith, 32, was arrested Thursday and charged with carrying of a firearm openly or concealed and possession or sale of ammunition, according to the VIPD. The Special Operations Bureau Tactical Team was on patrol during “Operation Set De Tone” in Frederiksted on Thursday, December 19, 2024, when officers observed a gold Chevy S-10 pickup being operated by a male without a visible license plate affixed to the front bumper of the truck, police said.

SOB officers conducted a traffic stop and upon approaching the driver’s side window, the officer immediately smelled what appeared to be a strong odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle, according to police. The driver, Smith, was advised that a search would be conducted of his vehicle and that he would be patted down for any weapons or objects that can be used as a weapon for the officers’ safety and his own safety, police said.