St. John dragnet leads to search of satchel, yields illegal gun, ammunition

A St. John man faces illegal gun charges after being caught up in an SOB dragnet over the weekend.

Rae-Shawn Amani Emmanuel Frazer, 22, was arrested and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of illegal ammunition, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.

The Special Operations Bureau responded at 4:30 p.m. Saturday ‘to information provided by the Intelligence Unit regarding a recovered firearm linked to a suspect involved in illegal drug activity,” according to the VIPD.

The investigation began a day earlier when the Intelligence Unit conducted surveillance in the area of Cruz Bay, St. John, targeting individuals suspected of drug distribution, police said.

During the surveillance, officers observed a black male, later identified as Rae-Shawn Amani Emmanuel Frazer, carrying a satchel slung across his left shoulder, according to police.

Upon reviewing surveillance footage on the morning of April 5, 2025, officers observed Frazer discarding the satchel, which had previously been on his shoulder, police said.