Felon Leon Swan gets 9 years for having body armor, ammunition

Leon Swan, 46, of St. Thomas, was sentenced to the maximum term of nine years in prison for unauthorized possession of body armor by a person convicted of a violent felony and unauthorized possession of ammunition, Virgin Islands Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea said today.

On February 20, 2025, Superior Court Judge Kathleen MacKay handed down the sentence following Swan’s conviction on each felony charge, according to AG Rhea.

The charges stem from a January 2024 domestic violence incident in which law enforcement responded to a disturbance in the Fireburn Hill area of St. Thomas.

Upon arrival, officers encountered Swan wearing a military-style tactical helmet and black bulletproof body armor, while repeatedly threatening to kill both officers and family members at the scene.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, possession of body armor by violent felon is prohibited.

A National Crime Information Center (NCIC) records check revealed that Swan had prior convictions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) in the Southern District of Florida including “attempting to export firearms from the United States / unlawful transport of firearms” and “communicating threats.”