BVI duo gets 57 months in St Croix cocaine bust

Two BVI men, Emmanuel Tolentino-Lebron, 22, and Shannon John, 37, were sentenced to 57 months in prison by USVI District Judge Wilma Lewis last Tuesday for their roles in a cocaine smuggling operation.

The sentence follows their guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

Judge Lewis also sentenced both offenders to two years of supervised release. They were also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.

The case originated on January 9, 2022, when the US Virgin Islands’ Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Unit spotted a suspicious vessel travelling near St. Croix. The 32-foot vessel, displaying no identification and operating in an area known for drug trafficking, was intercepted by authorities.

Upon boarding, agents discovered a significant amount of cocaine – 567 kilograms to be exact – hidden within 21 bales onboard. The four individuals found on the vessel – Tolentino-Lebron, John, his brother Sean John, and Augusto Rodriguez-Molina, a Dominican Republic citizen – were all arrested.

According to court documents, the four men intended to distribute the seized cocaine. In exchange for their participation, Tolentino-Lebron and Rodriguez-Molina were promised $5,000 each, while the John brothers were promised a much larger payout – $100,000 for Sean and $60,000 for Shannon.

While Tolentino-Lebron and Shannon John received their sentences this week, Sean John and Rodriguez-Molina were sentenced in April 2023.

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