Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Federal Firearms Conviction Leads to Lengthy Prison Sentence for Houston ManRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jarvis Pierre, 38, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. on federal firearms charges. Pierre was found guilty by a federal jury in May 2021 after a week-long trial of two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Pierre was sentenced today to 348 months (29 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on those charges. He was found to be an Armed Career Criminal based upon his criminal history and this sentence is a reflection of that enhancement.
Evidence introduced at the trial revealed that Pierre was stopped by law enforcement officers on two occasions for traffic violations. On October 7, 2018, deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fired call outside of the Cloud 9 night club in Lake Charles, Louisiana. When deputies arrived, the crowd began to disburse and many patrons left the parking lot. Deputies observed a vehicle that remained in the parking lot with the driver acting suspiciously. Law enforcement officers followed the vehicle once the driver left the parking lot and observed the vehicle drift from the lane of travel several times and conducted a traffic stop. Pierre was the driver of the vehicle and as deputies approached the vehicle, they detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. After a search of Pierre’s person, deputies found large amounts of cash, and a brown, powdery substance which was determined to contain heroin and fentanyl. While searching the vehicle further, deputies found a loaded FN57 handgun under the driver’s seat, as well as a loose 5.7mm round of ammunition, a rolled marijuana cigarette, and a baby bottle containing promethazine. Memo books containing writing that was determined to be prices for different amounts of narcotics with names and addresses were also found in the vehicle. The amount of cash found on Pierre’s person and in the vehicle totaled over $11,000.
When Pierre was stopped by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies for a traffic violation on December 27, 2018, they found him to have a loaded handgun between the driver’s seat and center console of his vehicle, along with marijuana on his person and in the vehicle, and two cellular phones. Deputies determined at that time that Pierre had an active warrant out of Texas stemming from a traffic stop in February 2018 in Pearland, Texas by officers with the Pearland Police Department. During the Pearland, Texas stop, law enforcement officers found a loaded 9mm handgun, over 400 oxycodone pills and $11,629 in cash, as well as 4 cellular telephones.
Pierre has previous felony convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (2001); distribution of cocaine (2002); and aggravated assault with a firearm (2013). It is illegal for individuals with a prior felony conviction to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the ATF and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Vermaelen, John W. Nickel and J. Luke Walker.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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West Monroe Man Convicted of Murder-for-Hire Plot Sentenced to Time in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Steven Marcus Kelley, 48, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 120 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, in connection with a murder-for-hire plot. The sentence handed down today was the maximum possible penalty under the law that Kelley could have received.
Kelley was convicted by a federal jury in October 2021, following a trial in United States District Court. He was found guilty of use of a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire. The charge stemmed from a letter that Kelley wrote while incarcerated at Ouachita Correctional Center (OCC) and awaiting trial for charges of rape and molestation. In the letter, Kelley tried to hire someone to kill his ex-wife, who is the mother of the victims in the sex crimes case.
Evidence introduced at the federal trial revealed that Kelley obtained the address of an individual in Monroe from another inmate at OCC and mailed the letter to that individual. Believing the individual who lived at that address would carry out the murder, Kelley offered “$10k for the job” for the individual to put “2 in the chest, 2 in the head” and to “make sure it counts.” Kelley drew a map in both blue and black ink of the area where his ex-wife worked. In an effort to avoid the letter and crime being traced back to him, Kelley used another inmate’s name for the return address. He caused the letter to be mailed from OCC via the United States Postal Service.
On the night of December 10, 2019, the individual who lived at the address to where Kelley mailed the letter received and read the contents of the letter. The letter provided a physical description of the victim, the vehicle she drove, where she worked and her normal schedule to arrive at work. The letter stated that it “HAS to look like a robbery.” Realizing that the letter was soliciting someone to commit a murder, the individual took the letter to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office the next morning. Law enforcement officers obtained surveillance video from OCC and the video revealed that on December 5, 2019, Kelley was sitting on his bed writing a letter. Kelley can be seen in the video alternating between two different pens, which was consistent with the two ink colors used to draw the map. Later that same day, Kelley can be seen taking an envelope into the cell of the inmate who provided the address of the hopeful hitman. Kelley sat on the fellow inmate’s bed and addressed the letter. Moments later, the inmate whose name Kelley used on the return address of the letter entered the cell and engaged in a conversation with Kelley and the other inmate. That evening, Kelley can be seen giving the letter to another inmate who in turns gives it to a correctional officer for mailing.
On December 30, 2019, law enforcement officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the Pods at the OCC where Kelley was housed at the time of the incident. Deputies found in Kelley’s belongings a blue and black in pen. They found in the other inmate’s bunk the address of the individual to whom Kelley mailed the letter.
The case was investigated by the FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Leon H. Whitten.
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Monroe Area Men Sentenced in Federal Court for Illegally Possessing Firearms and DrugsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Two men from the Monroe, Louisiana area were sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty in separate cases on charges of illegal possession of firearms and drugs, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Brent Thomas Chavers, 36, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 216 months (18 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Chavers pleaded guilty on October 18, 2021, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The charges stem from two separate incidents involving Chavers. The first incident occurred on October 3, 2019, when a deputy with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle Chavers was driving for a traffic violation. When the deputy approached the vehicle, he observed a shotgun in the backseat in plain view. Chavers admitted to the deputy that he was a previously convicted felon, and he was arrested. After a search of the vehicle, the deputy found a bag in the front seat which contained methamphetamine. Chavers admitted to possessing the gun and drugs.
The second incident occurred on January 5, 2021, when deputies stopped Chavers for operating a four wheeler in the wrong lane of traffic. Deputies conducted a pat search and found methamphetamine in a clear plastic baggie in his waistband. He admitted to deputies that he had been driving around attempting to sell narcotics and was returning home. Deputies transported Chavers to his residence and after he consented, they searched the residence and found a safe inside his bedroom with more plastic bags containing methamphetamine, as well as other narcotics packaged for sale. Chavers admitted to possession of the methamphetamine to law enforcement officers.
In a separate and unrelated case, Dondurius Oshay Scott, 29, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 102 months (8 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On July 11, 2018, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle being driven by Scott for a traffic violation. Deputies observed a loaded pistol magazine on the front passenger seat, then saw a pistol on the ground near the front driver’s side tire. Scott admitted to being in possession of the firearm knowing that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from doing so. Scott has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit second degree murder in 2015.
These cases were investigated by the ATF and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Shannon and Leon H. Whitten.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Former Georgia Department of Corrections Inmate Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Defraud VictimsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that an Atlanta, Georgia man, who was an inmate serving time in the Georgia Department of Corrections at the time of his crimes, has pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy in the Western District of Louisiana. Andre Deaveon Reese, 32, entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Donald E. Walter on January 28, 2022.
According to evidence presented to the court at the hearing, while serving time in the Autry State Prison (Autry) in Georgia in 2015, and continuing through July 2020, Reese participated in a scheme to defraud victims by telling them they had failed to appear for jury duty and a warrant had been issued for their arrest. To carry out this scheme, inmates used contraband cellular telephones from inside Autry to access internet websites to identify the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of potential fraud victims. Using the cellular telephones, inmates called the victims who name, and number had been obtained and made certain false misrepresentations to the victims. The inmates told the victims that they were law enforcement officials and that the victim had unlawfully failed to appear for jury duty. In addition, the victims were told that because they had failed to appear for jury duty, warrants had been issued for their arrest and the victim had a choice of being arrested on the warrant or pay a fine to have the arrest warrant dismissed.
To make the calls seem real, Reese, along with other inmates, created fictitious voicemail greetings on their contraband cellular telephones used by the inmates, identifying themselves as members of legitimate law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshal Service. For those victims who wanted to pay a fine, the inmates instructed them to purchase pre-paid cash cards and provide the account number of the cash card or the victim could wire money directly into a pre-paid debit card account held by the inmates or one of the co-conspirators. Based on these false representations, the victims electronically transferred money to the inmates because they believe that the funds would be used to pay the fine.
After a victim provided an inmate with the account number of the pre-paid cash card, the inmates then used their contraband cellular telephones to contact co-conspirators, who were not incarcerated, to have those individuals transfer the money from the cash card purchased by the victims to a pre-paid debit card possessed by the co-conspirators. The co-conspirators would then withdraw the victim’s money via an automated teller machine or at a retail store.
In August of 2016, two individuals, ages 75 and 78, living in the Western District of Louisiana, became victims of Reese’s scheme. The victims believed the callers, who were inmates posing as legitimate law enforcement officers, and followed their instructions to pay them to have the alleged warrants for their arrest for failing to appear for jury duty dismissed. An investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined that the two victims paid $9,797.95 to Reese and his co-conspirators.
“Unfortunately, there are individuals such as this defendant who have no shame in taking advantage of people who are trusting,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We encourage the public that when someone calls and gives you a story such as this to be cautious and contact your local law enforcement office to confirm that the story is true before you agree to pay any money to anyone. Our office will continue to investigate and pursue individuals who carry out these types of fraudulent schemes.”
Reese faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The sentencing hearing for Reese has been set for May 20, 2022.
The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshal Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a resource created by OVC for people to report fraud against anyone age 60 or older. Reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible, and within the first 2-3 days, can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open 7 days a week. For more information about the hotline please visit: https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/.
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Department of Justice Issues Statement Concerning Ronald Greene InvestigationRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr., release the following statement in connection with the Ronald Greene investigation:
“The Department of Justice has an open and ongoing criminal investigation into the incident that resulted in the death of Ronald Greene. The investigation is being handled by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with career prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The investigation has been comprehensive and those conducting the investigation have followed all credible leads. If the investigation reveals prosecutable violations of any federal criminal statutes, the Department will take appropriate action. While the investigation continues, recent reporting citing sources suggesting that the FBI has questioned people about the awareness of certain facts by Governor John Bel Edwards is inaccurate.”
Federal, State, and Local Agencies Work Together to Combat Crimes involving Guns and Violence in the Monroe AreaRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown, along with Monroe Police Chief Vic Zordan, Ouachita Parish Sheriff Jay Russell, Ouachita Parish First Assistant District Attorney Holly Jones, and agents from the ATF, FBI, and DEA, held a press conference today to discuss their efforts to increase the investigation and prosecution of cases against violent criminals in the City of Monroe.
The Project Safe Neighborhoods program brings together all levels of law enforcement - federal, state, and local - and this community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Because of this program and joint efforts of the agencies represented here today and other law enforcement partners, we have brought hundreds of federal firearm prosecutions in the Western District of Louisiana since 2018 and our efforts are increasing. Below are some statistics:
- In FY18 through FY21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted approximately 461 defendants in firearm related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms, in the entire Western District of Louisiana. Those divisions include Monroe, Shreveport, Lafayette, Alexandria, and Lake Charles. That is nearly double the number of such cases brought in the previous four years.
- There were 47 firearm related cases brought in Monroe during that same time frame.
- Currently our office has 14 active cases involving illegal firearms in the Monroe Division alone.
These statistics show that we have been committed to prosecuting federal firearm cases and getting dangerous criminals off the streets of our cities and pledge to work even harder to bring these offenders to justice. Cooperation with our state and local law enforcement partners in bringing these federal firearms indictments allows our state and local partners to concentrate on other crimes in our district.
An example of cases we are prosecuting in federal court to combat these types of crimes is an indictment that was returned today by a federal grand jury charging Montrelle Jones, 20, of Monroe, with illegally possessing a firearm by a prohibited person, knowing that he was subject to a protective order. The second count of the indictment charges Jones with possession of a firearm in a school zone. Federal laws prohibit the possession of any firearm in a school zone and Jones was found to have a loaded firearm in his possession after an altercation erupted between several individuals who were attending a basketball game at Neville High School on Friday, January 14, 2022.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, for each of the two counts.
“The goal of Project Safe Neighborhoods is to provide safe neighborhoods in Monroe and surrounding communities where people can safely live, work and raise their families,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We will continue to work closely with other law enforcement agencies to make that happen by removing some of the most violent and dangerous offenders from our streets. This is not something new for us, but instead a renewed effort to address the violent crime in the Monroe area to rid our communities of those bad apples. Illegally carrying a loaded gun and threatening those around you is not acceptable behavior and can result in the loss of innocent lives. Our message to those who participate in these bad acts is that threatening the safety of innocent people will not be tolerated and we are committed to boosting our coordinated efforts to rid the streets of this type of crime.”
City of Monroe Police Chief Vic Zordan stated: “Mayor Friday Ellis and I are excited to be working with the Western District of Louisiana’s United States Attorney in ridding Monroe of violent gun offenders. The Monroe Police Department is dedicated to working hand in hand with our federal law enforcement partners so that violent criminals have significant and appropriate consequences for their actions. When convicted in the federal system, the offender will serve approximately 85% of their sentence in jail, as opposed to approximately 50% in the Louisiana State system.”
Ouachita Parish Sheriff Jay Russell stated: “The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office has enjoyed a long standing relationship with U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown. Together we targeted violent felony criminals, removed them from our streets and brought them to justice. We look forward to continuing our combined efforts of improving the quality of life in our community for all of our citizens.”
Ouachita Parish District Attorney Steve Tew stated: “The District Attorney’s office is fortunate to be partnered with these law enforcement agencies on the state and federal level. Our First Assistant, Mrs. Holly Chambers Jones, has been at the forefront of this operation from its inception. She has done an outstanding job in coordinating the efforts of our office with these other agencies.”
If you have any information related to individuals committing crimes of violence in Monroe, please contact Monroe Police Department at 318-329-2600 or Crime Stoppers of North Delta at 318-388-CASH (2274).
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Distribution of Fentanyl Results in Federal Prison Sentences for Two North Louisiana ResidentsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that three individuals from North Louisiana have been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell for their involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl.
Makayla Monique Smith, 29, of Campti, Louisiana, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Smith was charged in an indictment in July 2020 and pleaded guilty July 7, 2021 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. In March 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Cenla Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of individuals in the Natchitoches, Louisiana area. During their investigation, law enforcement agents learned that three USPS Priority Parcels were received in the Natchitoches Post Office addressed to a known vacant address but were returned to the post office as “undeliverable.” An individual called the USPS Hotline to inquire about the subject parcels and provided a callback number. An agent with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service contacted the individual and she provided him a new address in Campti for the subject parcels to be delivered.
Law enforcement agents arranged for a narcotic detection K-9 to conduct an open-air narcotics sniff of the subject parcels and positively alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search warrant was obtained and agents recovered approximately 51 grams of fentanyl in the parcels. Agents attempted to make a controlled delivery to the new address given but the parcels were refused by an adult female at the address. USPS contacted the individual who had provided the new address and left a message that the delivery was attempted but the parcels were refused. A male individual called and told the post office that the packages would be picked up. That afternoon, agents observed two females arrive in a Jeep and enter the post office, retrieve the subject parcels, drive to a residence in Campti and take the packages into the residence. Soon after, two males arrived at the residence and went inside. A female then exited the residence and placed a box inside the Jeep and the two females and four children then got into the Jeep and left, followed by the two males. Agents conducting surveillance observed the two vehicles travel from Campti to Natchitoches and the agents were able to stop their vehicles for probable cause. Smith was the driver of the Jeep and the driver of the other vehicle was her boyfriend and co-defendant. A K-9 officer alerted at the rear of the Jeep to the presence of narcotics and agents searched and found the three packages in the rear area covered by a blanket. Smith and her co-defendants, Jeremy Dewayne Armstrong and Earl Mack Wallace, II, were arrested. All three defendants admitted to their involvement in obtaining the fentanyl.
Smith’s co-defendants, Jeremy Dewayne Armstrong, 37, of Natchitoches, and Earl Mack Wallace, II, 39, of Campti, both previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Dee D. Drell to the following: Armstrong received a sentence of 240 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release, and Wallace was sentenced to 3 years probation.
“A few grains of fentanyl can have deadly consequences and unfortunately fentanyl overdose cases have been an issue across our district in recent years,“ said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “One of our goals will be to vigorously prosecute those who possess this drug illegally. Further, we will continue to work closely with all of our law partners to disrupt drug fentanyl and methamphetamine traffickers, stopping them in their tracks.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office and Natchitoches Police Department investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
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Illegal Possession of Firearms Sends Two Men to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of two cases in the Western District of Louisiana. Sentencing hearings were held yesterday in Alexandria and United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced the following individuals:
Cortez Dayshon Duncantel, 27, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced to 130 months (10 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on firearms charges. The charges stem from an incident on June 4, 2019, when a Pineville Police Department officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. Duncantel was a passenger in the vehicle and was detained during the stop. Officers conducted a pat-down search of Duncantel and found a loaded Glock pistol and a bag of suspected cocaine in his groin area. In addition, officers found a digital scale which Duncantel had in a waist pack around his shoulder. The suspected narcotics were sent to the crime lab for analysis and confirmed to be cocaine. Duncantel is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance in 2014 and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Alfred James Kirk, 40, of Lecompte, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Kirk was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2021, and he pleaded guilty on October 4, 2021 to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On October 3, 2020, a Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle Kirk was driving for a traffic violation. When the deputy approached the car, he smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Deputies searched the vehicle and found small quantities of illegal drugs packaged for distribution, as well as a loaded pistol between the front driver and middle seat of the vehicle. Kirk has a lengthy criminal history of felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. His prior convictions were for illegal use of a weapon (2002); forgery (2004 and 2006); possession of stolen things (2013); simple escape (2013); possession of cocaine (2018); and possession with intent to distribute heroin, alprazolam, and methamphetamine (2018).
These cases were investigated by the ATF, Pineville Police Department, and Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Brian C. Flanagan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Shreveport Man Headed to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Drugs and a FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Antonio Lamont Ware, 44, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 170 months (14 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
Ware was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021 and pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to information presented in court, on November 6, 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a surveillance operation on Ware at his residence in Shreveport. Agents observed Ware get in his vehicle and drive down I-49. Deputies with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Ware for a traffic violation, and he refused to stop. While deputies were following him, they observed Ware throw a handgun out of the passenger window. The handgun struck the hood of the deputy’s vehicle and landed on the shoulder of the roadway. Ware finally pulled over and was interviewed by law enforcement agents. He admitted to possessing illegal narcotics and agents located 1,037.8 grams of methamphetamine, 176.7 grams of cocaine, and approximately 600 ecstasy pills. Agents also found three handguns in the same location where the drugs were located.
Ware has prior felony convictions, including a state conviction for accessory after the fact of simple burglary in 2000, and a federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2006.
The case was investigated by DEA and the ATF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
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Illegal Possession of Firearm Results in Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Nathan P. McCall, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. McCall was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. In addition, restitution was ordered in the amount of $8,750 to Barksdale Federal Credit Union.
According to evidence presented to the court, on December 7, 2020, officers with the Shreveport Police Department found McCall sitting in a vehicle parked in front of a local credit union and were given permission to search his vehicle. Inside the trunk, law enforcement officers found a Glock pistol beside a checkbook where the top check had been made payable to Nathan McCall. Officers also found a loaded 9mm drum magazine inside the vehicle. The ordered restitution stems from conduct involving McCall’s unauthorized use of an elderly woman’s checkbook.
McCall has a previous felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance in 2011 and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Caddo Parish Financial Crimes Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.
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Project Safe Neighborhoods Case Results in Federal Prison Sentence for a Local ManRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Quinterrius D’Lon Brown, 20, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, on firearms charges.
Brown was charged in a federal indictment with illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment and pleaded guilty to the charge on September 7, 2021. According to evidence presented to the court, Brown was indicted in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, on November 18, 2020 and charged with one count of 2nd degree murder and two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property. He appeared in Caddo Parish District Court with his counsel on January 20, 2021, was arraigned on those charges and then released on bond.
On June 12, 2021, law enforcement agents received information that Brown was illegally in possession of firearms. Agents began searching for Brown and he was located outside of his girlfriend’s residence on Fairway Drive in Shreveport. After being read his Miranda rights, agents learned that Brown had purchased a handgun off the street a month earlier. A search warrant was obtained and executed at the residence and agents found a handgun in the master bedroom where Brown admitted to hiding it earlier that day. The firearm was analyzed by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and confirmed it to be a working firearm.
Brown knew he was under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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Former Morgan City Bookkeeper Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay over $3 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Karen Duhon, 67, of Berwick, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on mail fraud charges. Duhon was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,391,598.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Duhon in December 2018 and she pleaded guilty on August 12, 2021 to one count of mail fraud. Duhon worked as the bookkeeper at Capital Management Consultants, Inc. (CMCI), a family-owned company located in Morgan City, Louisiana from October 1973 until August 2014. Beginning in approximately January 1999, Duhon took money from CMCI unlawfully. With the assistance of the treasurer of CMCI at the time, Duhon began writing checks to herself in amounts over her allowed salary, which the treasurer would then sign. Duhon deposited the checks in various accounts owned by her and her husband. She would then make false accounting entries in CMCI’s records to disguise these payments. The amount of loss suffered by CMCI was $3,263,677.06.
In addition, Duhon, along with the treasurer, also assisted certain members of the company owner’s family with their personal finances, including paying bills and balancing accounts. This gave Duhon access to checks connected to a specific brokerage account owned by one of the family members. From November 2012 through January 2014, Duhon, with the aid and encouragement of the treasurer, and without authorization of the victim family member, used this brokerage account to pay $127,920.94 in expenses on her personal American Express cards. Further, in December 2013, Duhon, acting with intent to defraud, mailed or caused to be mailed to American Express a check in the amount of $8,370.03 drawn on the victim family member’s account.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips.
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Another Defendant Involved in Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation Receives Federal SentenceRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Another defendant who was charged as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) “Operation Hustle City” was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Robert Lynn Baulkman, 35, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Baulkman was charged in a Bill of Information with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and he pleaded guilty to that charge on September 7, 2021. The charge was the result of an investigation led by agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into the drug trafficking activities of individuals in the Shreveport/Bossier City area in 2018, including Baulkman. Agents conducted surveillance and observed Baulkman meet one of his co-conspirators and provide him with a bag that was believed to contain marijuana and methamphetamine. The co-defendant then provided the bag to an individual who had made arrangements to purchase the narcotics. Agents obtained the purchased narcotics and sent them to the crime laboratory for analysis. The lab results confirmed that the marijuana weighed 1,737 grams and the pills contained 46.65 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine.
Federal agencies including DEA, Department of Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, all worked jointly with the Louisiana State Police, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, in conducting the investigation of Baulkman and his co-conspirators. U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the cases.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Illegal Possession of Firearms Results in Federal Prison Time for Two South Louisiana MenRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two men from the south Louisiana area were sentenced today by Chief United States Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. for their illegal involvement with firearms.
Lance Lawtell Granger, 49, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 56 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On November 18, 2020, law enforcement officers with the Lafayette Police Department executed a search warrant at Granger’s residence and, while searching his bedroom, located a backpack containing a firearm and ammunition. Granger admitted to officers that the firearm and ammunition belonged to him and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition because he was a convicted felon. His prior felony convictions are for possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2009, along with possession with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids and attempted possession of firearm by a convicted felon in 2018.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Lafayette Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.
Cristian Eli Alvarez-Alvarez, 25, who was found to be living illegal in the United States, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On February 3, 2021, officers with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of shots being fired at a residence in Duson, Louisiana. During their investigation of these events, law enforcement agents learned that Alvarez-Alvarez was in possession of a firearm and that he was also a citizen of Honduras who was living illegally in the United States. Alvarez-Alvarez was charged in an indictment with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and pleaded guilty to the charge on May 4, 2021.
This case was investigated by agents with the ATF, Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.
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Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Case Results in Sentences of 58+ Years in Prison for Six IndividualsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the completion of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation in the Western District of Louisiana.
Robert Edward Simpson, 49, of Benton, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Simpson was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $25,000.
Simpson and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges in October 2020. On June 24, 2021, Simpson pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with Thomas Shane Benefield, Tania Cedillo, Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” Casey Head, and Tanya Simpson-Procell, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Agents with FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force conducted an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Simpson and his co-defendants. They were able to obtain an order granting permission to wiretap Simpson’s phone which led agents to learn that Simpson’s drug suppliers were Cedillo and Palacios, who were from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Intercepted phone conversations showed that Simpson made trips at least once a week to the Dallas area and pick up large quantities of methamphetamine from the different suppliers. Benefield and Simpson-Procell both helped Simpson distribute methamphetamine to many different buyers and Head was a regular multi-ounce buyer. Agents obtained evidence that on March 11, 2020, Simpson sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine to an individual in Shreveport. He was arrested on June 18, 2020 and admitted to buying methamphetamine in the Dallas area and distributing it in the Shreveport/Bossier City area.
The following co-defendants have each previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case:
- Thomas Shane Benefield, 46, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Casey Head, 39, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was previously sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tania Cedillo, 35, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” 52, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Tanya Simpson-Procell, 48, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 110 months (9 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Mike Shannon.
This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Drug Trafficking Investigations Result in Federal Prison Sentences for Three MenRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of three cases involving the trafficking of illegal narcotics in the Western District of Louisiana. Two of these cases were Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) cases. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
Clay Bryant Lonadier, 42, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lonadier pleaded guilty September 9, 2021 to the charge. In July 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Shreveport area after receiving information that Lonadier’s co-defendant, Demetrius Loston, was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine. This OCDETF investigation was named “Operation Lost and Found” and resulted in federal indictments against nine defendants for conspiring together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During their investigation, agents were able to intercept phone calls between Lonadier and Loston, wherein they communicated about buying and selling methamphetamine. Agents set up surveillance and observed Loston and Lonadier meet on more than one occasion and conduct drug transactions. On November 6, 2020, Lonadier was arrested by officers with the Shreveport Police Department for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Shreveport Police Department and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
Arnelius Danta Terrell, 33, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday by Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 60 months (5 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine. During an OCDETF investigation into the drug trafficking activities in the Shreveport area, agents met with a confidential informant about undercover purchases that had been made. Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted surveillance around the Lamar Street area in Shreveport area on April 15, 2019 and observed Terrell arrive at a residence and deliver methamphetamine to an individual. Through phone conversations, agents learned that Terrell brought the methamphetamine at the direction of his uncle. The methamphetamine was seized, and field tested positive for methamphetamine. A laboratory analysis confirmed it to be 53.7 grams of actual methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
In another drug trafficking case, Darren Dewayne Cooper, 33, of Tallulah, Louisiana, was sentenced this week by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Through an investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), agents learned that Cooper made arrangements with another individual on the telephone wherein they discussed the sale of narcotics, including the amount and type of narcotics and the sale price. On August 13, 2020, Cooper met the individual at a gas station in Monroe, Louisiana and sold methamphetamine to them. The amount sold was determined to be at least 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.
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Breaux Bridge Woman Sentenced for Failure to Pay TaxesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Joan Chauvin Edgar, 71, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 41 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on tax fraud charges. Edgar was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $375,213.54.
Edgar was charged in July 2020 and pleaded guilty September 10, 2021 to failing to pay over withholding and F.I.C.A. (Social Security) Taxes. According to information presented to the court, Edgar established NGE Techs, LLC (NGE) in New Iberia, Louisiana, in 2012 and the company existed until 2017. NGE provided employees and other services to oilfield production companies. As an employer, NGE was required to withhold employment taxes from its employees’ wages throughout a quarter and maintain them in “trust” to be paid to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the end of the quarter.
As the sole owner of NGE, Edgar was responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying over the trust fund taxes on behalf of the company. She submitted Forms W-3 (“Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements”) to the Social Security Administration for 2012 through 2017, reflecting the total wages paid to her employees by the company and taxes withheld by the company from its employees’ paychecks. However, Edgar never paid any of the withheld taxes to the IRS as required. Edgar admitted that during the second quarter of 2015, although she had deducted and collected taxes from her employees to pay to the IRS, she failed to pay them when they became due. Edgar admitted to knowing she had a duty to pay those taxes and to voluntarily and intentionally violating that duty.
The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.
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Shreveport Businessman Sentenced on Wire Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that David D. DeBerardinis, 60, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 15 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for committing wire fraud and defrauding many people out of millions of dollars. A presentence investigation estimated the amount of loss to the victims in this case to be over $58,000,000. A hearing will be held on March 28, 2022 at 9:00 to determine the exact full amount of restitution to be paid by DeBerardinis.
DeBerardinis, a Shreveport-based executive, pleaded guilty to the charge of wire fraud on August 25, 2021. DeBerardinis admitted that he operated and managed numerous business entities and that he represented himself and his business entities to be part of the petroleum industry involved in a complex fuel trading business. DeBerardinis solicited, and caused others to solicit, individual investors and financial institutions to provide funds for his businesses in exchange for interest payments and a guaranteed return of principal.
DeBerardinis told investors and financial institutions that he had a preferential trading arrangement with Alon USA Energy, Inc. (Alon) that generated significant profits that would be used to repay the investors and financial institutions when in truth and in fact, DeBerardinis knew that he had no such arrangement with Alon. Between April 2014 and June 2015, PlainsCapital Bank, a financial institution in Dallas, Texas, provided funding to DeBerardinis in the amount of $29,500,000 allegedly to expand his fuel trading business. At the time the funding was obtained, DeBerardinis knew that he was not making fuel trades and that he did not have a relationship with Alon.
The funding from PlainsCapital was made by several interstate wire transfers from PlainsCapital Bank in Dallas to one of DeBerardinis’ bank accounts in Shreveport. The defendant either initiated or caused to be initiated these wire transfers. One of the wire transfers occurred on or about November 25, 2014 in the amount of $17,100,000.
“As was evident in today’s sentencing hearing, this defendant spent many years conning not only business associates, but also friends who trusted him, out of millions of dollars and destroying many of their lives while doing so,” stated United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “His cavalier attitude about the deception he used and the destruction that he caused is appalling. Seeking justice for victims such as these in this case is what continues to drive us to work harder to weed out those who deploy such unconscionable acts.”
DeBerardinis was ordered to report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on February 16, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted the case.
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Man Serving State Sentence in Angola Sentenced on Federal Drug Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Damione Brock, 42, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to spend 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy. Other co-defendants have also been sentenced to either conspiracy or other drug trafficking charges in connection with this case.
Brock was convicted of the charge by a federal jury after a two-day trial in April 2021. Evidence presented at the trial showed the jury that agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation in 2018 into drug trafficking activities in the Plain Dealing and Springhill areas of Louisiana. During their investigation, agents sought approval to use wiretaps and were able to intercept phone calls and text messages between Brock and Hogan wherein they discussed having methamphetamine delivered to Brock while he was a prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola (“Angola”). Brock, who was serving a lengthy sentence in Angola for possession of cocaine, was using a contraband cell phone to communicate with Hogan. Brock had arranged for the methamphetamine to be brought to him in Angola, using a courier and Keisarah McGee, a female who worked at the prison as a corrections officer.
DEA agents observed the transportation of the methamphetamine, which was hidden in fake soda cans driven from Bossier City to Alexandria by one of Brock’s couriers. The courier, Marvin Beck, put the package into McGee’s vehicle, who then took possession of the methamphetamine hidden in fake soda cans with the plan to transfer them to Angola when reporting for work. DEA agents alerted Louisiana Department of Corrections investigators to expect the female officer to try and enter the facility with the hidden narcotics. Investigators were able to stop her vehicle at the front gate of Angola and seized the methamphetamine prior to her entry into the facility.
In addition, agents uncovered a separate conspiracy involving Hogan to distribute cocaine in the Springhill, Louisiana, and Arkansas areas. Between October and December 2018, Hogan conspired with Steven Dewayne Gilbert, Patrick Clayton, and Kagan Weaver to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Agents with the DEA were able to intercept numerous phone calls between these defendants wherein they discussed the distribution of cocaine and the conversion of powder cocaine to crack cocaine. On December 18, 2018, Clayton was found to have individually wrapped baggies of cocaine packaged for street level distribution.
Law enforcement agents received additional information that Weaver was intending to purchase cocaine from Gilbert to distribute to individuals in Arkansas. On December 14, 2018, agents observed Weaver arrive in Springhill and meet with Gilbert. They both traveled to a residence in Plain Dealing that belonged to Hogan where cocaine was purchased from Hogan. Weaver then drove to Arkansas where he was stopped by law enforcement and found to have the cocaine in his possession. An analysis of the narcotics seized from these defendants was conducted by the DEA Laboratory and confirmed to be cocaine.
“Some of the defendants convicted in this case, which are from the Western District of Louisiana, used the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to facilitate this conspiracy. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute repeat drug traffickers who have no regard or respect for the law. Further, state correctional officers are held to a high standard and are entrusted to ensuring that order is maintained in state prisons, not to assist prisoners in committing other crimes.”
All of the co-defendants in this case have been sentenced and their names, convictions and information are as follows:
Steven Dewayne Gilbert, 39, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced June 19, 2020 to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 6 years of supervised release;
Roderick Dewaine Hogan, 40, of Plain Dealing, Louisiana, was sentenced April 23, 2021 to 200 months (16 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years supervised release;
Keisarah McGee, 30, of Woodville, Mississippi, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by 2 years supervised release;
Kagan Weaver, 24, of Waldo, Arkansas, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release;
Marvin Beck, 45, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 4 years supervised probation; and
Patrick Clayton, 44, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced to 1 day in prison, with credit for time served, followed by 3 years supervised release.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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Arcadia Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Casey Michael Taylor, 35, of Arcadia, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for illegal possession of firearms.
Taylor was sentenced to 68 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to information presented to the court, on February 2, 2021, deputies with the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office lawfully stopped Taylor’s pickup truck in response to a be-on-the-lookout or “BOLO” alert. Deputies placed Taylor into custody and found inside his truck several loaded handguns, ammunition, methamphetamine, and smoking paraphernalia. Investigators later searched and seized multiple firearms from Taylor’s gun safe pursuant to a search warrant. Taylor later admitted that he was addicted to and a daily user of methamphetamine making him prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Methamphetamine Found in Postal Package Leads to Arrest and Conviction of Alexandria ManRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Derrick Felton, 43, of Alexandria, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Jay Zainey to 188 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges.
Felton was charged in an indictment on July 13, 2018 following an investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into suspicious packages that were detected by a postal employee delivering mail in November 2017. The packages had been shipped from Los Angeles, California to an address in the Western District of Louisiana and one of the packages had a torn bottom. Upon inspection, the postal employee discovered what appeared to be bags of methamphetamine inside the package. Law enforcement agents with the FBI were contacted and a drug dog alerted on each of the three packages. A search warrant was then obtained for the packages.
During execution of the search warrant, agents found inside each package a combined 18 pounds of methamphetamine. Inside the boxes, the methamphetamine was surrounded by cooking pans. Agents analyzed the cooking pans and found Felton’s fingerprints on two of the pans. Felton pleaded guilty on August 24, 2021 and acknowledged that he facilitated the delivery of the 18 pounds of methamphetamine to the Western District of Louisiana. A laboratory analysis of the substance inside the boxes was determined to contain approximately 8 kilograms of a mixture or substance methamphetamine.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Nickel and Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
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Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation Leads to 30 Years in Prison for Shreveport ManRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Demetrius D. Loston, 39, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Loston pleaded guilty August 19, 2021 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In July 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Cedar Grove area after receiving information that Loston was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Shreveport area. This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was named “Operation Lost and Found” and resulted in federal indictments against nine defendants for conspiring together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During their investigation, agents were able to intercept multiple phone calls between Loston and other co-defendants, wherein they communicated about buying and selling large amounts of methamphetamine for profit. Loston has prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances in 2000, possession of a Schedule II controlled substances in 2005, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2014, and possession with intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances in 2018.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, ATF, and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
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Methamphetamine Courier Sentenced to Time in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Juan Francisco Salas, 45, of Houston, Texas, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. on drug trafficking charges.
Salas was sentenced to 76 months (6 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On December 5, 2019, a trooper with the Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Salas. After a period of questioning, the trooper searched Salas’ vehicle and discovered approximately ten kilograms of methamphetamine inside a box in the rear cargo area. Salas admitted that he knew the illegal narcotics were in the trunk. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Laboratory tested the seized methamphetamine and confirmed that the amount seized totaled 9,205 grams.
This case was investigated by the DEA and Louisiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.
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Illegal Possession of Firearm Lands Man in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Christopher D. Smith, 25, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 71 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 27, 2021 charging Smith with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of stolen firearm. He pleaded guilty on August 16, 2021 to illegal possession of the firearm. On August 19, 2019, while on parole for state criminal charges and under the supervision of the Louisiana State Probation and Parole, Smith was found to have a loaded firearm in his possession. State parole officers conducted a standard and lawful search of Smith’s residence and located a firearm with a blue bandana wrapped around the magazine in a bedroom of Smith’s residence. The firearm was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition and was in Smith’s bedroom where men’s clothing and mail addressed to him was found. In addition, Smith’s DNA was found on the bandana and the firearm. The firearm was determined to have been reported as stolen back in 2019.
Smith has prior felony convictions for attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2017 and simple robbery in 2016 and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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CEO of Shreveport Federal Credit Union Pleads Guilty to Charges in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Helen Godfrey-Smith, 72, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to making and using a false document.
Godfrey-Smith was employed by the Shreveport Federal Credit Union (SFCU) from 1983 to 2017 and during much of that time was employed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SFCU. The SFCU was a Shreveport, Louisiana based financial institution under the regulation of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).
In October 2016, the SFCU, through Godfrey-Smith, entered into an agreement with the United States Department of the Treasury to buy back certain securities that were part of the Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). As part of that process, on December 27, 2016, Godfrey-Smith signed and submitted to the United States Department of the Treasury an Officer’s Certificate which certified that all conditions precedent to the closing had been satisfied.
In reality, SFCU had not met all conditions precedent to closing and had suffered a material adverse effect. Unbeknownst to the United States Department of the Treasury and the NCUA, SFCU was in a financial crisis. From 2015 through 2017, another individual who was the Chief Financial Officer of SFCU (Individual 1), had been falsifying call reports to the NCUA which included millions of dollars in fictitious fee income. In addition, she was creating fictitious entries in the banks records to support the false call reports. This created the illusion that SFCU was profitable when, in fact, the bank was failing. In addition, Individual 1, embezzled approximately $1.5 million from the credit union.
By the time Godfrey-Smith signed the Officer's Statement, she had become aware of deficiencies at the credit union. Specifically, she had recently investigated and discovered that there were millions of dollars of fictitious entries on SFCU's general ledger, and the credit union's books were not balanced. However, she failed to disclose this information to the United States Department of the Treasury and signed the false Officer’s Statement.
In the Spring of 2017, the institution failed. It was taken over by regulators from the NCUA and placed into a conservatorship. An investigation by the NCUA revealed that SFCU had amassed in excess of $10 million in losses by December 2016.
Godfrey-Smith faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for April 5, 2022.
The FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Department of Treasury–Office of Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
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Brandon B. Brown Sworn in as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Brandon Bonaparte Brown was officially sworn in today as United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on November 15, 2021 and was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 7, 2021. U.S. Attorney Brown was sworn in at the federal courthouse in Lafayette.
“It is an honor to have been nominated and endorsed by the President and Senators Cassidy and Kennedy to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana,” stated U.S. Attorney Brown. “I am excited to serve alongside a team of exceptional public servants at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and with the dedicated law enforcement professionals throughout this district. This office will continue to partner with law enforcement and community partners to pursue equal justice under the law.”
With over 14 years of public service, U.S. Attorney Brown will lead an office of approximately 70 federal prosecutors and staff, located in Shreveport and Lafayette. The Western District of Louisiana covers the western part of Louisiana, with offices in Shreveport, Lafayette, Alexandria, Monroe, and Lake Charles.
U.S. Attorney Brown joined the Shreveport Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in November 2012. He worked in the general crimes area and prosecuted a wide range of criminal offenses and has tried multiple cases to jury verdict. Most notably, U.S. Attorney Brown was trial counsel in United States v. Thomas Sanders, a multi-victim homicide case spanning multiple states, which culminated in the first death penalty verdict in the history of the Western District of Louisiana. In March 2017, Brown was appointed as the Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for the district, charged with coordinating two task forces comprised of federal and state law enforcement agencies with the goal of investigating and prosecuting firearm and high-end violent crime organizations in the district. He left the office in March 2018 to accept a position in private practice and then rejoined the Shreveport Criminal Division in October 2018 as the Shreveport Division Lead Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) attorney and the district’s Violent Crime Coordinator.
From 2007 to 2012, U.S. Attorney Brown served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office in Monroe, Louisiana. While serving in the felony division, he prosecuted a wide range of offenses including sex crimes, homicides, robberies, narcotics, and public corruption, while also handling any appeals related to his cases. Most notably, he was trial counsel in State of Louisiana v. Edward L. Harris, a public corruption case in which the mayor of a municipality made improper payments to himself and town employees during his last days in office after losing reelection. He was also trial counsel in State of Louisiana v. Matt Banks, a “cold case,” revived after seven years, resulting in two life imprisonment sentences.
U.S. Attorney Brown grew up in Richwood, Louisiana, and graduated from Ouachita Parish High School. He is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University holding a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Information Systems (2002) and a Master of Business Administration (2004). Brown received his law degree from the Southern University Law Center in 2007, where he was the 1L class president, led the student recruitment committee, represented indigent defendants in the criminal clinical program, and served on the Moot Court Board. U.S. Attorney Brown is involved in activities in his community and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in Shreveport.
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Drug Trafficking Co-Conspirators Receive Federal Prison SentencesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two co-conspirators, Roderick Lamont Stills, a.k.a. “Scooter,” 45, of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Myron Keith Carter, a.k.a. “Cali Red,” 38, of Ontario, California, have been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., for their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Stills was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and Carter was sentenced to 78 months (6 years, 2 months) in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The charges in this case stem from an investigation conducted by agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into shipments of methamphetamine that were being sent to individuals in the Shreveport area from Southern California. On July 31, 2019, DEA and U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents learned about the arrival of packages from California into the Western District of Louisiana. The next day, agents observed a postal carrier deliver one of the packages to an address on Line Avenue in Shreveport. Agents observed Stills obtain the package and move it to his vehicle. Stills was detained by agents and when they retrieved the package from his vehicle, found heat-sealed packages containing approximately 1,647 gross grams of methamphetamine. Stills admitted that the package was his and further admitted that he had received at least two dozen packages of methamphetamine to the Shreveport area. He further admitted that he would have individuals pick up the packages from him on occasion and that he would also distribute the drugs to others to sell.
During their investigation, law enforcement agents learned that Carter would mail methamphetamine to an address in Shreveport, then fly to Dallas, rent a car, drive to Shreveport, and retrieve the package. He would then arrange meetings with individuals in Shreveport to sell the methamphetamine in large quantities for them to sell. On September 18, 2019, Carter arranged such a meeting and sold methamphetamine for $3,700 to an individual. The methamphetamine was later tested at the DEA crime lab and determined to be methamphetamine and weighed 375.4 grams.
The case was investigated by DEA and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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Disturbance Complaints Lead to Conviction of Men for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men have been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to time in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Both defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in Lafayette on January 13, 2021 for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Kevin Joseph Lejeune, 31, of Westlake, Louisiana was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Lejeune pleaded guilty on June 3, 2021. The charge stemmed from an incident in which deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance complaint at a residence in Lake Charles on July 9, 2020. Upon arrival at the residence, the deputies interviewed witnesses at the scene and learned that Lejeune had possessed and discharged a firearm that evening. The residence was equipped with a video surveillance system, and the system’s recording device was located within a locked safe. Search warrants were executed on the residence and Lejeune’s vehicle. Deputies found a loaded pistol in Lejeune’s vehicle and recovered the surveillance video from the safe. Upon reviewing the surveillance video, deputies observed video footage of Lejeune possessing and firing the pistol. Also, Lejeune admitted to law enforcement that he had possessed and discharged a pistol that evening. As a person having been previously convicted of felony offenses, Lejeune knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. His previous felony convictions included those for aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.
Rickey A. Edmonds, 48, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On February 10, 2020, Lake Charles Police Department officers responded to a residence in connection with a reported disturbance complaint. Officers found Edmonds on the porch with a firearm near him. He acknowledged to officers that the firearm belonged to him. In addition, Edmonds had a number of rounds of ammunition in his pants pocket. Edmonds has prior felony convictions for illegal carrying of a weapon (second offense) (2016), and for unauthorized use of a vehicle (2016). Edmonds knew that as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Lake Charles Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Carencro Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Her EmployerRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Yvette L. Fontenot, 54, of Carencro, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 14 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for using or trafficking in an unauthorized access device. Fontenot was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $149,461.48.
Fontenot pleaded guilty to the charge on August 20, 2021. Fontenot was employed as an Office Manager at Periodontics Associates in Lafayette, Louisiana. In that position, Fontenot was authorized to use certain credit cards for business expenses, as well as certain business accounts to pay the balances of those credit cards and other business expenses.
According to evidence presented to the court, from November 2008 until August 2016, Fontenot used several of the business credit cards issued to Periodontics Associates for personal expenses for herself and her family. Fontenot knew that these credit cards were obtained and authorized for business use only and she knew that other business accounts would be used to pay the balances of the credit card accounts. In fact, business funds were used to pay these credit card balances and personal expenses of Fontenot through business checks prepared by Fontenot herself. She did this with the intent to defraud the company for personal gain, to which she was not entitled. The amount of loss suffered by the company as identified in the criminal proceedings was $149,461.48.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.
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Louisiana Men Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Drugs and a FirearmRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men from North Louisiana were sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty.
Aaron Farrar, 24, of Sterlington, Louisiana was sentenced to 126 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine. Farrar pleaded guilty to the charge on August 18, 2021. The charge stems from an investigation which began when U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents intercepted a suspicious package that was in route to Farrar’s residence address in Sterlington. Agents obtained a search warrant for the package and found approximately 216 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a clock radio. Law enforcement officers placed a small amount of the methamphetamine back into the package and delivered the package to Farrar at the address. Agents were notified when the package was opened, and they executed a search warrant on the residence. During the execution of the search warrant, agents found the delivered package containing methamphetamine, as well as a loaded handgun with extended magazine. Farrar told law enforcement that the package was being delivered to his residence for someone else and that he was supposed to get paid for getting the package to that individual.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Michael James Carroll, 27, of Tallulah, Louisiana was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for theft of firearm from a licensed dealer. On or about June 30, 2020, Carroll walked inside Tallulah Gun Sales, a federal firearms licensee in Madison Parish, Louisiana, and removed a Glock pistol from the glass display case without permission. Carroll placed the firearm in his waistband then left the store. Later that day during a traffic stop, law enforcement officers recovered the stolen Glock pistol from Carroll’s vehicle.
The ATF and Madison Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.
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Former Air Force Member Sentenced on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Adam Richard Henderson, 35, of Bossier City, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on child pornography charges.
In September and October 2020, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations received cypertip reports from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children that a Yahoo user was in possession of numerous images of child pornography. Law enforcement agents began an investigation and discovered that the email accounts belonged to Henderson. He was charged and pleaded guilty on July 16, 2021 to transportation of child pornography.
At the guilty plea hearing, Henderson admitted that on March 14, 2020, while living in Bossier City, Louisiana, he emailed images of child pornography from two Yahoo email accounts belonging to him. The images were of prepubescent minors whose genital and pubic areas were lasciviously exhibited. Henderson admitted to sending the images at his guilty plea hearing on July 16, 2021.
The U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Austin Hack, 24, of Lafayette, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 26 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on firearms charges.
Hack was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 18, 2020 and charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On April 6, 2021, Hack pleaded guilty to the charge. This case was initiated on January 25, 2019 when officers with the Lafayette Police Department arrested Hack on outstanding arrest warrants on unrelated matters. Before his arrest, Hack was seen driving a silver Mercedes Benz vehicle and had parked it at a residence on Sonny Street in Lafayette. Law enforcement officers surrounded the residence and demanded Hack to come out of the residence. He eventually complied and officers obtained a search warrant and conducted a search of the vehicle he had been driving. Inside the vehicle officers found a revolver loaded with 5 rounds of ammunition, as well as 20 additional rounds of ammunition. Hack admitted to law enforcement officers that the firearm was his and he had purchased it off the street.
As an individual having been previously convicted of a felony, Hack knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. His prior felony conviction is for illegal possession of a stolen firearm (2018).
The ATF and Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Breaux Bridge Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Her Employer Out of over $300,000Read the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Tracie Sonnier, 51, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on wire fraud charges. Sonnier was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $335,015.67.
Sonnier pleaded guilty on July 19, 2021 to a Bill of Information charging her with one count of wire fraud. The charges stemmed from an investigation that began when her employer discovered money missing from their business account. Sonnier was employed by Aries Marine Corporation (Aries) from 1996 until her termination in May 2020. She worked as an administrative assistant and had bookkeeping duties at Aries. An investigation by agents with the U.S. Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department revealed that Sonnier created a scheme to defraud Aries using Aries’ bank accounts, without authorization, to pay for personal expenses. The investigation revealed that her scheme resulted in a loss to the company of $335,015.67.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
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New Iberia Trucking Company Owner Sentenced for Distributing Cocaine and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Rusty Ross Honore, 42, of New Iberia, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release on drug trafficking charges. He was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $10,000.
Honore pleaded guilty on July 21, 2021 to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and at the guilty plea hearing admitted that he conspired with two other co-conspirators to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana in the Western District of Louisiana.
Law enforcement agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) had information to believe that Honore was distributing cocaine in the Lafayette area and in March 2020, began an investigation into his drug trafficking activities. Through the investigation of law enforcement agents, including the use of surveillance and other investigative techniques, agents found that Honore and his co-conspirators possessed and distributed approximately 207 pounds of marijuana and 2 kilograms of cocaine.
Honore has a previous federal felony conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana from 2006. He was released from prison in 2012 and his period of supervised release ended in 2014.
The DEA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
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Man Convicted of Kidnapping, Interstate Domestic Violence and Firearms Charges Sentenced to Life in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Dillon James Merritt, 54, of Many, Louisiana was sentenced today by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to life imprisonment, plus 600 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, on kidnapping, interstate domestic violence, and firearms charges. This sentence is the result of two separate cases in which Merritt was charged and convicted.
In the first case, Merritt was charged in December 2019 with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Law enforcement officers with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, learned that Merritt, who had several felony convictions, had firearms in his possession. On January 12, 2018, law enforcement officers arrested Merritt on a warrant based on his illegal possession of a firearm. Merritt went to trial in April 2021 and was convicted by a federal jury on both of those counts.
In the second case, Merritt was charged in September 2020 with one count of kidnapping, two counts of interstate domestic violence, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was convicted by a federal jury after a three-day trial in July of this year on all four counts. Evidence at the jury trial revealed that on December 12, 2017, Merritt kidnapped a woman in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and took her across state lines to Texas and held her against her will for four days. Merritt and the woman (victim) briefly dated in the fall of 2017, but after Merritt punched the victim in the stomach following an argument, she severed the relationship with Merritt. Following the breakup, he continually called the victim and harassed her.
During the evening hours of December 12, 2017, Merritt found the victim walking back home from visiting with a friend near the Walmart parking lot in Natchitoches and struck her in the head and put her in a truck and left. The victim was bound and gagged and hidden under clothing in the vehicle and for the next several days, was taken by Merritt to various locations in Louisiana and remote locations in Texas near Toledo Bend. Merritt repeatedly raped the victim, doused her with lighter fluid and tried to set her on fire, and severely beat her with his fists, elbows, feet and with a Maglite flashlight over this four-day period causing serious bodily injury to the victim. In addition to the brutal beatings, aggravated sexual assault, and sexual abuse on the victim committed by Merritt, he possessed with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Additional evidence was introduced at today’s sentencing hearing of Merritt’s past victims who have suffered at his hand, including three young children and four other women besides the victim in this kidnapping case. Those crimes are as follows:
- In 1999, Merritt was convicted of simple battery after beating his then nine-year-old son with a coat hanger.
- In 2000, Merritt was again convicted of simple battery after beating his former girlfriend.
- In 2001, Merritt tortured his then two-year-old stepdaughter by spraying hair spray in her eyes, twisting her leg and breaking her tibia, twisting her arm and dislocating her shoulder, and then refused to seek medical treatment for her. In September 2002, Merritt was convicted by a jury of cruelty to a juvenile for these crimes.
- In February 2005, Merritt was again convicted of cruelty to a juvenile as the result of an incident in June 2002, while Merritt was on pretrial release for the first cruelty to a juvenile charge, when he struck the head of a four-year-old boy and strangled him. He broke the front door to and attempted to enter the boy’s residence after his parents retreated inside, apparently hiding from Merritt and they called the police. Merritt was released on parole for the abuse of these two children in 2008.
- In less than a year after being released from the 2005 conviction, in June 2009, Merritt severely beat his new girlfriend by strangling, kicking, punching and beating her with a belt. The victim girlfriend sustained a collapsed lung, bruising to her thighs, arms, shin and posterior flank, as well as a hemorrhage with bruising around her eyes. Merritt was convicted of second-degree battery and sent back to prison, but released again in August 2012.
- In June 2013, Merritt savagely beat his new girlfriend, A.M., making her the sixth known victim who had suffered at the hands of Merritt. Testimony at today’s hearing from the victim’s sister showed that Merritt repeatedly beat, strangled, and raped the victim and eventually dumped her nearly lifeless body onto the front steps of his neighbor’s trailer. The neighbor called an ambulance, and they transported the victim to the hospital where she was resuscitated multiple times and she remained in intensive care for several weeks. She suffered from fractured ribs, bruising and swelling all over her face and body, and a head injury. The head injury brought on a series of strokes that caused permanent brain damage. Although this victim survived the brutal attacks by Merritt, she is in an assisted living facility because of the injuries he caused. The sister of the victim testified that her sister’s mental capacity and personality have never been the same since Merritt savagely beat her. Merritt was never prosecuted for this horrific crime by the Texas authorities.
- In August 2016, Merritt found a new girlfriend and she became his next victim. As was his practice, Merritt held the girlfriend captive over the course of several days while beating her body and face and strangled her until she almost passed out. The victim was able to escape and ran to a neighbor’s house for help. The responding police officer noted that the victim had bruises on her body, a very red eye, and complained of broken ribs. Merritt was convicted of domestic abuse battery and sentenced to a short stay in jail. Within a year and a half, in 2017, Merritt committed the instant offense, abducting and torturing his eighth and last victim.
“The severe brutality and sexual abuse which this defendant has inflicted upon others has finally ended and the life sentence he received ensures that he will never be a threat to society again,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “He preyed upon helpless children and women who were vulnerable and unknowing, and scarred each of them for the rest of their lives. We hope that this sentence can bring some form of healing to the eight victims – three children and five women – who suffered at the hands of such an evil and despicable person.”
The FBI, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Sabine County Sheriff’s Office in Hemphill, Texas conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted both cases.
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Con Man Defrauds Two Friends Out of over $390,000Read the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Glenn Lee Dobbs, Jr., 51, of DeBerry, Texas, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 33 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on wire fraud charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. Dobbs was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $391,241.
Dobbs was indicted by a federal grand jury for wire fraud and pleaded guilty to the charge on April 15, 2021. According to information presented to the court, Dobbs represented to two victims that he owned and operated a commercial roofing business. In March 2017, Dobbs falsely represented to one of these victims that his company had a contract with Roadrunner Rubber Company, a tire and wheel manufacturer in Houston, Texas, to roof its building. Dobbs asked the victim for money to pay the materials cost associated with the falsely represented contract and in exchange, they would split the profits. The victim believed that Dobbs did in fact have a contract with Roadrunner and paid him $212,348.
Further investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that in April 2017, Dobbs solicited money from a second victim for another roofing job that did not exist. Dobbs falsely represented to the victim that he had a contract with the Tomball ISD in Tomball, Texas to roof a building. Dobbs asked the victim to pay the materials cost associated with the falsely represented contract and told the victim that in exchange, they would split the profits from the roofing job. The victim paid him $178,893. Neither of these victims were ever repaid the money that they provided to Dobbs.
Dobbs defrauded the victims in the Western District of Louisiana while already under federal indictment in the Eastern District of Texas for carrying out a similar scheme there.
The FBI was the investigative agency in this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.
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Shreveport Man with Lengthy Criminal History Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Ronnie G. Reddix, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 120 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on firearms charges.
Reddix was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as the result of a high-speed pursuit that resulted in the discovery of his firearms. On or about December 12, 2020, an officer with the Shreveport Police Department observed Reddix and another individual rolling a marijuana cigar in a vehicle. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop but the driver did not stop, prompting a high-speed pursuit by law enforcement officers which lasted approximately ten minutes. When the car finally stopped, Reddix and other occupants exited the vehicle and fled the area. Officers observed a firearm fall from Reddix’s lap onto the ground as he exited the vehicle. He was caught and arrested after a brief foot pursuit. Officers recovered a second firearm on the ground along the path taken by Reddix during the foot pursuit. He admitted to possessing the firearms, both which were loaded with ammunition.
Reddix has a long list of previous felony convictions and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. His prior convictions are for simple burglary (2018); possession with intent to distribute narcotics and possession of narcotics (2017); two counts of simple burglary (2017); simple burglary (2014); illegal use of a weapon (2014); possession of a schedule IV narcotic (2014); domestic abuse battery (2011); and illegal use of a weapon from a motor vehicle (2009).
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Convicted Bank Robbers Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that three defendants convicted of armed bank robbery have been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell.
Larcentursa Mayweather a.k.a. “Cent” a.k.a “Lacenturia,” 50, of Winnfield, Louisiana, was sentenced to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Paul Nash, Jr., 44, of Jonesboro, was sentenced to 124 months (10 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
Tabitha Lee Gray, a.k.a. “Tabitha White,” 45, of Jonesboro, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Mayweather, Gray and Nash were also ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution.
Mayweather was convicted by a jury in federal court in Alexandria on May 28, 2021. Nash and Gray each pleaded guilty and agreed to testify truthfully about their involvement in the robberies. During Larcentursa Mayweather’s trial, evidence revealed that he conspired with his two co-defendants, Paul Nash, Jr., and Tabitha Lee Gray a.k.a. “Tabitha White” to rob two banks in the Western District of Louisiana in April 2019.
During the trial, evidence was produced that Mayweather helped plan the bank robberies and instructed Nash and Gray on how to carry out the robberies and what to do and he acted as the getaway driver. On April 2, 2019, Mayweather drove Nash and Gray to Campti, Louisiana and dropped them off at the City Bank. There Nash and Gray entered the bank with firearms drawn and ordered tellers to give them money. After Nash and Gray left the bank with the stolen money, they fled in a stolen vehicle to meet Mayweather at a predetermined location and discarded the stolen vehicle. In an effort to divert the attention of law enforcement officers from the robbery, Mayweather provided Nash with a cell phone and instructed him to make a false report to law enforcement by conveying a bomb threat on the Lakeview High School property in Campti. The money stolen from the Campti bank was divided between the co-defendants.
The second armed robbery occurred on April 16, 2019 at the Bank of Montgomery in Castor, Louisiana. Again, Mayweather helped plan the robbery and instructed Nash and Gray on how to carry out the robbery. Instead of calling in a false report of a bomb threat, this time the co-defendants committed arson by setting a house on fire in another attempt to divert the attention of local law enforcement from the robbery. Mayweather dropped Nash and Gray at the bank and again they entered with firearms drawn pointing them at the tellers. After the money was stolen, Nash and Gray ran out of the bank intending to find Mayweather, who had promised he would be waiting to pick them up. Once they exited the bank, Mayweather saw law enforcement officers in the area and instead of picking them up, he accelerated and left Nash and Gray to fend for themselves. Nash and Gray ran into a nearby wooded area and were later apprehended. Mayweather was seen leaving the area of the Bank of Montgomery and was stopped and arrested by law enforcement officers. Gray’s purse and a receipt belonging to Nash were found in his vehicle.
Testimony at trial revealed that a glove belonging to Mayweather was found in the parking lot of the City Bank in Campti, Louisiana. After laboratory analysis, it was determined that Mayweather’s DNA was on the glove. Further, testimony at trial revealed that Mayweather provided the firearms and clothing including gloves, hoodies, and masks to Nash and Gray to complete the robberies.
The FBI, Louisiana State Police, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Fire Marshal conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille Gilreath and Robert F. Moody prosecuted the case.
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Caddo Parish Commissioner and Sister Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Just Days Before Trial Set to BeginRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two defendants scheduled to begin trial Monday, November 8, 2021, each entered guilty pleas this evening before United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote.
Lynn D. Cawthorne, 54, a Caddo Parish Commissioner and resident of Shreveport, along with his sister, Belena C. Turner, 50, also of Shreveport, each appeared in United States District Court this evening and pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with their involvement in a scheme to defraud the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which administers the Child Nutrition Programs. Cawthorne also pleaded guilty to a charge of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false tax return in connection with a separate indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury against him in December 2019.
According to information introduced at the hearing, the Child Nutrition Programs administered by the USDA include the Summer Feeding Service Program (SFSP). The SFSP was established to ensure that children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session during the summer. In Louisiana, the SFSP is administered by the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) Division of Nutrition Support. Meals are prepared and served by SFSP sponsors who are required to follow rules and regulations issued by the USDA and LDOE.
To participate in the SFSP, sponsors are required to submit a “sponsor application” that includes, among other things, a budget estimating revenues and expenses related to the feeding program. Sponsors are also required to submit a “site application” listing the physical address where meals will be served. In the application, sponsors agree to oversee the administration of SFSP at each approved site. Based on guidelines published by the USDA, LDOE regulations require sponsors to maintain certain records, including but not limited to, daily site records documenting the number of Eligible Meals served to Eligible Persons. Sponsors are reimbursed for expenses after electronically submitting claims to LDOE certifying that each claim is true and accurate. Sponsors can also receive an advance of funds to help pay approved expenses.
In 2013, Cawthorne was president of United Citizens and Neighborhoods, Inc. (UCAN) and Turner was the executive director. In 2013, Turner and Cawthorne caused UCAN to apply to the LDOE to participate in the SFSP at various feeding sites in the Western District of Louisiana. In late May 2013, Cawthorne created Harvest Catering, Inc. (Harvest Catering) in the name of an unindicted co-conspirator. However, Cawthorne maintained actual control and decision making over Harvest Catering’s financial activity. More specifically, Cawthorne drafted Harvest Catering checks and maintained a Harvest Catering debit card.
Turner and Cawthorne represented to the LDOE that Harvest Catering would be providing catering services to UCAN at its SFSP sites. In a claim for reimbursement, the defendants submitted a false claim which resulted in a wire being sent on May 20, 2013. On that same date, the LDOE electronically transferred $33,080.78 to UCAN’s bank account using a wire communication traveling in interstate commerce through the Western District of Louisiana. On May 24, 2013, Turner drafted and eventually negotiated a check made payable to a non-profit under her control called Dreamkeepers Academy. In addition, on May 30, 2013, Cawthorne drafted a UCAN check made payable to Harvest Catering in the amount of $8,000. Cawthorne and Turner either via cash withdrawal, check negotiation or debit card used a portion of these funds for personal use and not for the SFSP. The government and the defendants agreed that the loss amount caused by the fraud scheme would be determined at sentencing.
In connection with the tax fraud charge, Cawthorne admitted to hiring a tax return preparer to prepare his 2013 tax return and admitted that he assisted in the preparation of his tax return for the 2013 tax year. Cawthorne received income from Harvest Catering that he failed to report, and he fraudulently reported an adjusted gross income of $7,555 during the 2013 calendar year. Cawthorne knew the statement in his 2013 tax return was false and filed the 2013 tax return on or about April 15, 2014 knowing that it contained false information, in that the amount of his income was higher.
Cawthorne and Turner each face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, on the wire fraud count. In addition, Cawthorne faces up to 3 years in prison, a $100,000 fine, or both, on the tax fraud count.
Sentencing for Cawthorne and Turner has been set for March 16, 2022 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The Louisiana Office of the State Inspector General, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and USDA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
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Three Defendants Sentenced in the Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the resolution of three cases today in the Western District of Louisiana. The cases sentenced today are as follows:
Allen Jackson, 32, of Pineville, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to 72 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on drug charges.
Jackson pleaded guilty on August 4, 2021 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The charge was the result of an investigation by law enforcement agents in connection with a package that was delivered to a house in Jonesville, Louisiana on August 21, 2020. The package contained approximately 1,490 grams of methamphetamine and was delivered to the house of one of Jackson’s relatives. Law enforcement officers learned during their investigation that Jackson conspired with others to have the package of methamphetamine delivered to his relative’s address. He provided the address of the relative’s house to his co-conspirators with the understanding that he would be compensated in cash and/or methamphetamine in exchange for providing the delivery address.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.
Jose Luis Sosa-Almontes, 47, an immigrant illegally in the United States, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 210 months (17 years, 6 months) in prison, on drug trafficking charges. Sosa-Almontes is subject to deportation after serving his sentence.
On January 21, 2020, law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Monroe, Louisiana were contacted by DEA in Houston, Texas in reference to methamphetamine being transported from Houston to Atlanta. DEA agents had information that Sosa-Almontes was the transporter and would be traveling through the Monroe area. Deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle which Sosa-Almontes was driving for a traffic violation and found him to be the lone occupant inside. When asked for his driver’s license, Sosa-Almontes provided a passport from Mexico but stated he did not have a valid driver’s license. Deputies asked for consent to search his vehicle and a K-9 officer positively alerted on a generator in the bed of the truck. Deputies located nine individually wrapped bags that contained approximately nine kilograms of methamphetamine. The bags field tested positive for methamphetamine. Sosa-Almontes was illegally in the United States, having previously been removed at or near Laredo, Texas on September 12, 2012.
The DEA and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Francisco Portillo-Martinez, a native of Guatemala, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 16 months in prison, for re-entry of a removed alien. Portillo-Martinez is subject to deportation after serving his sentence.
Portillo-Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge and pleaded guilty on June 28, 2021. This charge is the result of the arrest of Portillo-Martinez on April 4, 2021 by deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office near West Monroe, Louisiana. He had previously been deported from the United States three times from Alexandria, Louisiana: on June 25, 2009, March 18, 2010, and September 17, 2013. Following his last removal, Portillo-Martinez illegally re-entered the United States in 2016 near Laredo, Texas. He had not received consent from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for admission to the United States since his previous deportations. Portillo-Martinez has a previous felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance from March 5, 2009 in Pearl River, Mississippi.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
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Federal Penitentiary Prisoner Sentenced for Killing Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Jesus Sanchez, 37, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons inmate, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 360 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for second degree murder.
According to evidence presented to the court, on or about June 18, 2014, an inmate arrived at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Pollock. At approximately 7:23 p.m. on that day, cellmates Jesus Sanchez and his co-defendant, David Cortez, aided and abetted by each other, stabbed the newly arrived inmate with a knife on the recreation yard at USP Pollock.
The inmate victim had 19 stab wounds in his upper and lower back, chest, shoulders, arms, neck, and head, and later died at the hospital from injuries sustained from the stabbing. Sanchez and Cortez admitted to killing the inmate victim with malice aforethought.
Cortez previously pleaded guilty to second degree murder in connection with this incident and was sentenced to 350 months to run consecutive to the federal sentence he was already serving.
The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.
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Former Bookkeeper at Alexandria School Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Carlina Moore, 37, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on wire fraud charges. Moore was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $121,600.50.
Moore pleaded guilty on August 4, 2021 to a Bill of Information charging her with wire fraud. Moore was employed by the Montessori Educational Center, Inc. (MEC) as a bookkeeper from May 2018 to August 2020 and she handled all in-house bookkeeping for them.
According to information presented to the court at the hearing, on or about August 25, 2020, the MEC’s administrator reviewed their bank account and discovered a questionable transaction. This prompted the administrator to conduct a further review of the bank and credit card accounts. Their investigation into the questionable transaction revealed that Moore was embezzling funds from the MEC’s accounts without their knowledge or authorization.
Law enforcement agents further investigated the fraudulent activity and confirmed that Moore had in fact defrauded the MEC by transmitting funds by way of wire communications in interstate commerce. Moore admitted that she devised a scheme to defraud the MEC and that she did so in order to obtain money and property from the MEC fraudulently and for her own personal gain. She admitted that she embezzled $121,600.50 from the MEC.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker prosecuted the case.
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Zwolle Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Committing Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Melissa H. Sepulvado, 59, of Zwolle, Louisiana was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, on wire fraud charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. Sepulvado was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $145,000.
Sepulvado pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on May 13, 2021. According to information presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing, Sepulvado and her husband were employed by Weyerhaeuser Company (“Weyerhaeuser”) at the company’s mill located in Zwolle, Louisiana. Sepulvado was employed as a Senior Support Specialist and had been with the company for 17 years, and her husband was employed as an hourly worker. Her primary duties were to review and approve payroll entries for the hourly workers at Weyerhaeuser’s Zwolle mill through its internet based, electronic payroll system. In addition, she reviewed vacation payout requests by hourly workers. Vacation payout was an employee-benefit service that Weyerhaeuser provided to some of its hourly workers, which was earned vacation time based on tenure with the company and wages paid to them for the vacation time they took.
From November 2014 to April 2017, Sepulvado defrauded Weyerhaeuser of $145,000 by exploiting her position and access to the payroll system. She regularly entered vacation payout requests for her husband for hours he did not earn, and although she was not supposed to review or approve her husband’s pay requests, she did approve them and sent the approved requests via electronic wire to their payroll department which was outside of Louisiana. Weyerhaeuser then deposited money into her husband’s bank account based on the fraudulent pay requests. Sepulvado took steps to conceal the fraud by backdating numerous vacation payout requests, entering the requests for completed pay periods from months or years earlier. These actions concealed the requests from regular audits of the system.
The FBI conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted the case.
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Three Shreveport Police Officers Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges for Assaulting Two ArresteesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced that a federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, has returned an indictment charging three officers with the Shreveport Police Department, Treveion Brooks, 26, William Isenhour, 25, and D’Andre Jackson, 25, with assaulting two arrestees in Shreveport.
The indictment alleges that on or about January 24, 2020, Brooks, while acting in his official capacity as an officer of the Shreveport Police Department, used unjustified force against an arrestee, identified only in the indictment as D.R., by punching him about the face and body, resulting in bodily injury.
The indictment further alleges that on that same date, Jackson and Isenhour, while acting in their official capacity as officers of the Shreveport Police Department, and while aiding and abetting each other, used unjustified force against another individual identified in the indictment as C.B., by punching him about the face and body, resulting in bodily injury.
Each of the defendants made their initial appearance in United States District Court today and are scheduled to be arraigned November 4, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby.
The civil rights charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for the deprivation of rights offense.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary J. Mudrick and Cadesby B. Cooper of the Western District of Louisiana and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Anita Channapati are prosecuting the case.
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Possession and Trafficking of Drugs Sends Two Men to PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men from north Louisiana were sentenced to prison today by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote.
Keaton Lamar Shaw, 34, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On February 27, 2019, Shaw was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by law enforcement officers for a traffic violation. When officers approached the vehicle, they detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside and asked the occupants to exit the vehicle. Shaw exited the vehicle wearing a black backpack. Officers saw a pistol in plain view between the passenger seat and the center console of the truck and found it to be loaded. Officers were aware that Shaw was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition and he was arrested. Law enforcement officers found inside Shaw’s backpack 6 grams of powder cocaine, 3,017 tablets containing 639 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, 226 grams of marijuana, and a scale. In addition, a search warrant was executed at Shaw’s residence where approximately 18 grams of marijuana was found in the dresser next to his bed.
Shaw has two previous felony convictions for attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in 2008 and 2018, and as such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The DEA, ATF and Shreveport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted the case.
Jamie William Hill, 42, of Mansfield, Louisiana, was sentenced to 121 months (10 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into methamphetamine trafficking activities in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Through their investigation, they learned on October 25, 2020, that Hill was going to sell methamphetamine at a local motel in Shreveport. Based on that information, agents set up surveillance at the motel. Agents observed Hill drive into the motel parking lot and stay there for a period of time and leave. Deputies with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of Hill for having an altered temporary registration tag. Hill denied having any drugs in the vehicle and gave deputies consent to search it. Deputies found approximately 263.7 grams of methamphetamine in a clear plastic bag underneath the gear shift. Hill was arrested and later admitted to having more drugs in a nearby hotel room. During the search of the room, law enforcement agents found and seized methamphetamine hidden in a freezer, and in the air conditioning unit, and found a 9mm pistol in his luggage. The methamphetamine was tested by the DEA Lab and determined that the total weight of all that was seized was 263.7 grams.
The DEA, ATF and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
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Monroe Man Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief Funds and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Monroe, Louisiana man with fraudulently obtaining more than $1.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program loans, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook, and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, along with James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG).
According to the indictment, Michael Ansezell Tolliver, 56, of Monroe, submitted nine fraudulent PPP and EIDL Program loan applications on behalf of several purported companies that Tolliver owned, including Tolliver Oil & Gas Corporation of Louisiana Inc. and Tolliver Petroleum Corporation of Louisiana. According to the indictment, Tolliver falsified information in the loan applications and supporting documents, including falsely claiming that some of his businesses had over 100 employees. He also submitted falsified federal tax returns. In total, Tolliver sought more than $7.6 million in PPP and EIDL Program loans and obtained more than $1.1 million. Tolliver then allegedly laundered and misused the loan proceeds, including by transferring the funds to personal bank accounts and purchasing cars and luxury goods.
Tolliver is charged with two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. A summons will be issued and he will make his initial appearance at a later date before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kayla D. McClusky of the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Louisiana. If convicted, Tolliver faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison per count of money laundering.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The IRS-CI and SBA-OIG are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg and Trial Attorney Justin M. Woodard of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the department’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the PPP began, Fraud Section attorneys have prosecuted more than 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases. The Fraud Section has also seized more than $65 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Mansfield Man Previously Convicted of Domestic Violence Crimes Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Mansfield man who was convicted by a jury earlier this year of illegally possessing a firearm was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote.
Orentha James Pea, 43, of Mansfield, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. It was also ordered that this sentence run consecutive to any state court sentence Pea receives if convicted for aggravated battery against his wife. Pea was convicted after a two-day jury trial in May 2021 on two firearms charges, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Evidence introduced at the trial showed the jury that Pea held a gun to his wife’s head in front of their children and threatened to kill her following an argument between the two of them. Pea was previously convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in 2017 and 2018 related to the domestic abuse battery of his daughter and the violation of his wife’s order of protection. Pea also has felony convictions for aggravated battery in 2005, related to shooting his pregnant wife with a firearm, and aggravated battery in 2014, related to striking his wife with a firearm. Testimony at trial revealed that Pea was commonly known to carry a firearm, despite knowing that he was prohibited from doing so as a convicted felon and a person convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. After threatening to kill his wife, who is the victim in this case, Pea went to a cousin’s house and returned back home later that evening. He locked himself and the victim in their bedroom, took her cell phone from her, and berated her for most of the night.
The next morning when they awoke, the victim was able to get away from Pea and call the police to report the threat that he made to kill her the day before and that he had a gun in his possession. Officers with the Shreveport Police Department responded to their home and conducted a search and found the loaded firearm hidden in the house. Laboratory analysis determined that Pea’s DNA was present on the firearm.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted the case.
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Louisiana Man Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief Funds and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Louisiana man with fraudulently obtaining more than $1.1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program loans.
According to the indictment, Michael Ansezell Tolliver, 56, of Monroe, submitted nine fraudulent PPP and EIDL Program loan applications on behalf of several purported companies that Tolliver owned, including Tolliver Oil & Gas Corporation of Louisiana Inc. and Tolliver Petroleum Corporation of Louisiana. According to the indictment, Tolliver falsified information in the loan applications and supporting documents, including falsely claiming that some of his businesses had over 100 employees. He also submitted falsified federal tax returns. In total, Tolliver sought more than $7.6 million in PPP and EIDL Program loans and obtained more than $1.1 million. Tolliver then allegedly laundered and misused the loan proceeds, including by transferring the funds to personal bank accounts and purchasing cars and luxury goods.
Tolliver is charged with two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. A summons will be issued and he will make his initial court appearance at a later date before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kayla D. McClusky of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison per count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook of the Western District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office; and Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) made the announcement.
IRS-CI and SBA-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 100 defendants in more than 70 criminal cases and has seized over $65 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Monroe Police Officer Indicted for Assaulting an Arrestee and Attempting to Cover it UpRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams announced that a federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, has returned an indictment charging Jared Desadier, 43, with assaulting an arrestee in Ouachita Parish. The two-count indictment charges Desadier with willfully depriving an individual of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242, and with witness tampering in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(3).
The indictment alleges that on April 21, 2020, Desadier, while acting in his official capacity as an officer of the Monroe Police Department, used unjustified force against an arrestee by kicking him in the area of his face and head, and that the assault caused bodily injury and involved the use of a dangerous weapon (a shod foot). The indictment further alleges that Desadier attempted to cover up his misconduct by engaging in misleading conduct towards his supervisors. Specifically, the indictment alleges that after the arrestee complained in the presence of supervising officers that he had been assaulted, Desadier claimed that he had not touched or harmed the arrestee and blamed the arrestee’s injuries on a fall.
If convicted, Desadier faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for the deprivation-of-rights offense and 20 years of imprisonment for the witness tampering offense.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Indictment Returned Charging Ruston Man with Making Threats Against Member of CongressRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Chase Levi Thibodeaux, 38, of Ruston, Louisiana, with threatening a federal official and transmitting threats in interstate commerce.
The indictment alleges that on or about October 12, 2021, Thibodeaux threatened to murder a Member of Congress while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties, and to retaliate against her on account of her official duties.
It is further alleged in the indictment that Thibodeaux placed a telephone call to the Member of Congress stating that he would murder her, thereby knowingly transmitting a communication in interstate commerce with the intent to threaten to injure people with knowledge that they would view the communication as a threat.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Thibodeaux faces not more than 10 years in prison on the charge of threatening a federal official, not more than 5 years on the transmitting threats in interstate commerce charge, 2 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The United States Capitol Police and FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
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