V.I. Code tit. 14, § 2253 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 14 - Crimes|Chapter 113 - Weapons|§ 2253. Carrying of firearms; openly or concealed; evidence of intent to commit crime of violence; definitions

 (a) Whoever, unless otherwise authorized by law, has, possesses, bears, transports or carries either, actually or constructively, openly or concealed any firearm, as defined in Title 23, section 451(d) of this code, loaded or unloaded, may be arrested without a warrant, and shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than ten years and shall be fined not less than $10,000 nor more than $15,000 or both the fine and imprisonment, except that if such person shall have been convicted of a felony in any state, territory, or federal court of the United States, or if such firearm or an imitation thereof was had, possessed, borne, transported or carried by or under the proximate control of such person during the commission or attempted commission of a crime of violence, as defined in subsection (d) hereof, then such person shall be fined $25,000 and imprisoned not less than fifteen (15) years nor more than twenty (20) years. The foregoing applicable penalties provided for violation of this section shall be in addition to the penalty provided for the commission of, or attempt to commit, the felony or crime of violence. (b) Whoever, unless otherwise authorized by law, has, possesses, bears, transports or carries either, actually or constructively, openly or concealed any machine gun, assault rifle or sawed-off shotgun, as defined in subsection (d)(2) and (3) of this section, loaded or unloaded, may be arrested without a warrant, and shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than fifteen years nor more than twenty years and shall be fined $25,000, except that if such person shall have been convicted of a felony in any state, territory or federal court of the United States, or if such machine gun, assault rifle or sawed-off shotgun or an imitation thereof was held, possessed, borne, transported by or under the proximate control of such person during the commission or attempted commission of a crime of violence, as herein defined, then such person shall be fined $50,000 and imprisoned not less than twenty (20) years nor more than twenty-five (25) years. The foregoing applicable penalties provided for violation of this section shall be in addition to the penalty provided for the commission of, or attempt to commit, the crime of violence. (c) In the trial of a person for committing or attempting to commit a crime of violence, as herein defined, the fact that he was armed with a firearm, used or attempted to be used, and had no license to carry the same, as required in Title 23, chapter 5 of the Code, shall be evidence of his intention to commit said crime of violence. (d) As used in this chapter— (1) “Crime of violence” shall have the same definition as that contained in Title 23, section 451(e) of this Code. (2) “Machine gun” means any firearm, as defined in Title 23, section 451(d) of this Code, which shoots automatically more than 12 shots without reloading. (3) “Sawed-off shotgun” means any firearm, as defined in Title 23, section 451(d) of this Code, designed to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile, the barrel of which is less than 20 inches in length. (4) The term “possession” as used in this section means both actual and constructive possession. (5) “Constructive possession” means having the power and the intention at any given time to exercise dominion or actual control over the firearm either directly or through another person. (6) “Assault weapon” means any firearm as defined in title 23, chapter 5, section 451(d) of this Code which will, with a single pull of the trigger, discharge ammunition until the trigger, or other activating release is released or until the ammunition is expended. (7) “Automatic weapon” means any firearm, as defined in title 23, chapter 5, section 451(d) of this Code which has the capacity to fire more than one shot without manually reloading with a single pull of the trigger. (8) “Semi-Automatic weapon” means any firearm, as defined in title 23, chapter 5, section 451(d) of this Code which has the capacity to fire one shot with each pull of the trigger without manually reloading. (9) “Conversion kit” means any part or combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting any firearm into an automatic weapon and any combination of parts from which an automatic weapon can be assembled if the parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. (10) “Assault Rifle” means a selective-fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, including, but not limited, to the following characteristics: (A) It must be an individual weapon with provision to fire from the shoulder (i.e., a buttstock); (B) It must be capable of selective fire; (C) It must have an intermediate-power cartridge—more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle; and (D) Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable magazine.” (e) Whoever, unless otherwise authorized by law, has, possesses, bears, transport or carries, either openly or concealed, on or about his person, or under his control in any vehicle of any description any firearm as defined in title 23 chapter 5, section 451(d) of this Code, or any weapon that can be converted into an automatic weapon as defined in title 23, chapter 5, section 451(h) and a conversion kit, loaded or unloaded, may be arrested without warrant, and shall be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than fifteen years nor more than 20 years and shall be fined not more than $25,000, except that if such person has been convicted of a felony in any state, territorial or federal court of the United States, or if the automatic weapon or an imitation thereof was held, possessed, borne, transported by or under the proximate control of such person during the commission or attempted commission of a crime of violence, as defined in subsection (d)(1), then such person shall be subject to have the crime committed reclassified and a prison sentence imposed as follows: (1) in the case of commission of a felony of the first degree, a life sentence; (2) in the case of commission a felony of the second degree, to felony of a first degree and a minimum sentence of 20 years; and (3) in the case of commission a felony of the third degree, to a felony of the second degree a minimum of 15 years. (f) Whoever, unless authorized by law, has, possesses, bears, transports or carries, either openly or concealed, on or about his person, or under his control in any vehicle, of any description, any firearm as defined in title 23, section 451(d) of this code and any assault weapon as defined in subsection (d), or any weapon that can be converted along with a conversion kit, loaded or unloaded within one thousand feet of the real property comprising a public or private elementary, junior, secondary or vocational school or a public or private college, junior college, or university or a playground or a housing facility owned by a public housing authority or within one thousand feet of a public or private youth center, school bus stop or private youth center or public swimming pool or public beach, is subject to twice the maximum punishment prescribed in subsections (a) and (b) of this section and section 2256(a) and (b) of this chapter.