A West End man accused in 2023 of helping to run a major drug ring from His Majesty’s Prison was shot dead shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday, police said.
Nyron Erickson, 32, was reportedly riding a scooter in the West End area that day when “unknown assailants fired multiple rapid gunshots in his direction” and fatally wounded him, according to the Police Information Office.
Images of Mr. Erickson’s bloodied body and a nearby scooter circulated on social media shortly after his death, as did videos of police and bystanders gathering at the scene.
Police did not provide further information about the incident, but they said investigations are ongoing and they appealed to witnesses to come forward.
“Every life lost to gun violence is one too many,” said acting Deputy Police Commissioner Kenrick Davis.
“With each incident of this kind, the immediate family members suffer immense loss and grief, but the entire community also suffers from the resultant vicarious trauma. This trauma is manifested in many ways, including a shared fear of crime, which negatively impacts the quality of life.”
‘All hands on deck’
He added that police are putting “all hands on deck” to mitigating gun violence in the territory.
“We are urging the community to come forward with any information, no matter how small, that may assist us in identifying and bringing those responsible to justice,” he said.
Mr. Erickson had a history of criminal allegations against him, but he always maintained his innocence and he was never convicted. In August 2019, he was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in St. Thomas for allegations of international money laundering and bulk cash smuggling.
Extradition
He was arrested here the following year and then extradited to the United States Virgin Islands in 2023 after his attempts to avoid extradition dead-ended in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.
Mr. Erickson — who denied the US charges — was scheduled to start trial in the USVI the same year. But after his lawyer moved to exclude certain evidence, US prosecutors abruptly reversed course and dismissed the case against him.
He then returned to this territory on Sept. 20, 2023, only to be arrested on arrival.
After four days in custody, he appeared virtually in Magistrates’ Court five days later, accused of taking part in a major drug- and gun-smuggling ring in 2021 while he was held at His Majesty’s Prison awaiting extradition to the US.
20 charges
All told, Mr. Erickson was hit with 20 charges in connection with a record haul of contraband allegedly found at a Ballast Bay residence in December 2021, including 14 guns, nearly 470 kilograms of cocaine, about 12 kilograms of marijuana, more than $550,000 in proceeds of criminal conduct, and $42,300 in forged US currency.
Though Mr. Erickson was incarcerated at HMP throughout 2021, the crown alleged that he had possession of all these items that year along with accomplices who were operating outside the prison.
At his arraignment, defence attorney Valerie Stephens-Gordon said Mr. Erickson maintained his innocence and had no previous convictions. She added that he was a certified marine mechanic who had previously lived in West End with his family.
Stressing repeatedly that he was incarcerated at the time of the alleged offences, Ms. Stephens-Gordon argued that the crown had presented no evidence that he had control of the illegal items seized in Ballast Bay. She also argued that Mr. Erickson wasn’t a flight risk.
He was initially remanded to prison to await trial, but he later fought that decision in the High Court.
Police said this week they did not know about his bail situation or when he may have been released from prison, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions didn’t immediately respond to a message.
Ms. Stephens-Gordon said she no longer represented Mr. Erickson. Attorney Ruthilia Maximea, whose firm represented him more recently, did not immediately respond to a message.
Tipline
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the Saturday shooting in West End or may have other information that could assist with their investigation to contact the Intelligence Unit by calling 368-9339 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline by calling 800-8477 (TIPS) locally or 284-800-8477 from overseas.
