Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
West Monroe Man Found Guilty in Murder-for-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal jury in Monroe, Louisiana, returned a guilty verdict yesterday afternoon convicting Steven Marcus Kelley, 48, of West Monroe, Louisiana, in connection with a murder-for-hire plot. United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided over the two-day trial.
On December 16, 2020, Kelley was indicted by a grand jury and charged with 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 the rape and molestation of his then-12-year-old and 8-year-old stepdaughters. 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. Kelley mailed the letter to an individual in Monroe.
Evidence introduced at the federal trial this week revealed that Kelley obtained the address to which he mailed the letter from another inmate at OCC. 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. Kelley 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 were able to pull surveillance video from OCC. The video showed 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. Later 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.
Kelley faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office assisted in and investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.
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Owner of Counseling Agency and Supervising Manager Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two individuals have entered guilty pleas before United States District Judge Donald E. Walter in connection with a conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud.
Marty T. Johnson, 59, of Shreveport, Louisiana and Keesha Dinkins, 45, of Bossier City, each appeared in United States District Court on October 25, 2021 and pleaded guilty to federal charges. Johnson pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging him with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud. Dinkins pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging her with misprision of a felony charge of healthcare fraud. Johnson and Dinkins each admitted to defrauding the Medicaid Program out of $3.5 million.
According to information presented to the court, Johnson owned and operated Positive Change Counseling Agency (Positive Change) located in Shreveport, Louisiana, from January 2013 to January 2018. Keesha Dinkins was a manager and supervisor at Positive Change. Positive Change provided mental health rehabilitation and related services to Medicaid beneficiaries in the Caddo and Bossier Parish areas. From 2014 to January 2018, Johnson submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims for mental health rehabilitation and non-emergency transportation services on behalf of Positive Change. Dinkins knew that Johnson submitted these fraudulent claims that she and Johnson both knew were not performed or rendered. These fraudulent claims resulted in Positive Change receiving payments from Medicaid to which it was not entitled.
Johnson admitted to paying individuals money to enroll with Positive Change, increasing the capacity for Positive Change to bill Medicaid for services that were not rendered. Johnson instructed employees, and Dinkins supervised those employees, at Positive Change to create false client files to conceal from Medicaid and insurance company auditors and inspectors that it had not performed the services related to its previously submitted claims which had already been reimbursed by Medicaid. In order to create these false client files, sections from different client documents were physically cut to create inserts which were glued into blank client log templates. These templates with the glued inserts were then photocopied to create the appearance of legitimate documents. Johnson and Dinkins supervised and knowingly and willfully instructed the employees that were creating these false client files to place the false and fictitious photocopied, cut and pasted, documents into the client files. Johnson and Dinkins knew that these false client files were used to conceal from Medicaid officials that Positive Change did not render the services in the claims submitted by it and paid by Medicaid.
In addition, Johnson knowingly caused Positive Change to use Medicaid recipients’ names and identification information without their knowledge or consent to submit fraudulent claims for mental health rehabilitation and non-emergency transportation.
Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Dinkins faces a maximum sentence of 3 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and a find of up to $250,000.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and FBI are investigating this case and it is still ongoing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Cadesby B. Cooper are prosecuting the case.
If you have any information pertaining to this or any other type of Medicaid fraud, please contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Hotline at 1-800-488-2917.
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Federal Jury Returns Guilty Verdict in Child Pornography CaseRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal jury in Lafayette returned a guilty verdict today against William Malone, 45, of Mobile, Alabama, on child pornography charges, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
On October 7, 2020, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Malone with five counts of production of child pornography, one count of use of a facility to cause a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to evidence presented during the two-day trial in the Western District of Louisiana, Malone lived in Mobile, Alabama and worked as the captain of a maritime vessel that traveled out of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. An investigation was begun in March 2020 by law enforcement officers with the Mobile Police Department and Child Advocacy Center after they received complaints that Malone had sexually abused a female under the age of 12 years old. The minor victim’s mother reported the allegations after learning from her daughter that Malone had been sexually abusing her.
Law enforcement agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a forensic examination of the minor victim’s cell phone and found evidence that Malone had texted the minor victim and asked her to send him pictures and videos of herself naked and other sexually explicit images of herself. Agents also executed a search warrant onboard the vessel where Malone was working, for his laptop computer and cell phone. During a review of Malone’s laptop computer and cell phone, agents found the sexually explicit images that the minor victim had told law enforcement officers she sent to Malone at his request. Malone was subsequently arrested and charged.
Malone faces a sentence of up to 160 years plus life in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The FBI and Mobile, Alabama Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Luke Walker and Craig R. Bordelon prosecuted the case.
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Man Convicted of Arson of Alexandria Businesses Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Jasmine Roberson, 31, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on arson charges.
According to information presented in court, on April 20, 2019, firefighters with the Alexandria Fire Department responded to reported fires at a strip mall on Elliott Street in Alexandria, Louisiana. When they arrived at the location, they observed flames in a store-front window and saw a hole in the window. The flames had subdued in that area, but as they moved through the business, they located flames through an open doorway and extinguished the fire. Evidence at the scene led firefighters to suspect arson.
On May 3, 2019, firefighters were called once again to reported fires at the same strip mall on Elliott Street in Alexandria. When they arrived, they found that another business had its front window broken and soot was visible on the ceiling above the window. Firefighters found an unbroken glass bottle that was used to fashion a Molotov cocktail that was filled with gasoline and a rag stuffed in the charred bottle.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an investigation into both fires and discovered that they were related. After conducting interviews of witnesses, ATF agents learned that the owner of the store that suffered damage from the second fire was in a romantic relationship with an inmate at Hunt Correctional Center. The victim indicated that the boyfriend/inmate had given her money to help start her business but when he learned that her business was not doing well financially, he told her he was going to burn it down.
Further investigation revealed that the boyfriend/inmate contacted Jasmine Roberson and a co-conspirator to set the fires so he could collect insurance money on the failing business. The first fire on April 20, 2019 was started on the wrong business so Roberson went back on May 3, 2019 and attempted to set fire to the correct business location.
A DNA analysis was performed on the glass bottle found at the scene and Roberson was identified as a potential match for DNA found on the bottle used at the fire. Roberson admitted to agents that he attempted to set fire to both businesses.
The ATF and Alexandria Fire Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
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Three Defendants Sentenced for Federal Drug and Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced three defendants to time in federal prison for federal crimes involving drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.
Albert Williams, 31, of Beaumont, Texas, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On April 30, 2019 Mega Bus Tours contacted the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office in reference to a bomb scare/threat at Mile Marker 26 on Interstate 10. Law enforcement and fire department personnel arrived on the scene and were standing near the bus as the passengers exited. Williams was a passenger on the bus and when he saw law enforcement officers approaching him, fled the scene on foot carrying a bag. Deputies pursued Williams and saw him place a black pair of sweatpants into a drainage ditch. Williams was apprehended and law enforcement officers located the pants in the ditch. The pants contained a Ziploc bag with a compressed brick of suspected cocaine. The Southwest Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory in Lake Charles tested the substance and determined that it was in fact cocaine with a weight of 1.006 kilograms.
The Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Byron Lamar Jackson, 31, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On January 2, 2020, Lake Charles Police Department officers were dispatched to the intersection of Church and Grace Streets in reference to an individual possessing a firearm. Officers arrived at the scene and after speaking with witnesses, were given consent to search a nearby residence to search for the firearm. While searching the residence, law enforcement officers located a pistol inside a duffle bag used by Jackson. Jackson admitted to officers that he did in fact possess the firearm. As an individual having previously been convicted of a felony crime, Jackson knew that he was prohibited from possessing the firearm. His prior felony convictions are for possession of controlled substances (2008 and 2015); and illegal use of weapons or danger dangerous instrumentalities (2015 and 2018).
The ATF, Lake Charles Police Department and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen prosecuted the case.
David O’Neil a/k/a “Monster,” 41, of Leesville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release. On June 29, 2021, O’Neil pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Investigators with the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at O’Neil’s residence on January 4, 2019 and during their search, discovered a pistol in the bedroom where O’Neil slept. In addition, law enforcement officers found plastic bags containing suspected methamphetamine. The substance was analyzed by the crime lab and confirmed it to be methamphetamine. O’Neil has prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances in Vernon Parish (2018) and as such is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The ATF and Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen prosecuted the case.
The cases involving Byron Lamar Jackson and David O’Neil 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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Theft of FBI Vehicle Sends Lafayette Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Timothy Brian King, 34, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for theft of government property.
On Monday, February 22, 2021 at approximately 3:00 a.m., a 2010 Dodge Charger, a vehicle purchased for and belonging to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was stolen from the FBI’s Lafayette Resident Agency parking lot located in Lafayette, Louisiana. The FBI began an investigation into the theft and reviewed video surveillance from the morning of February 22, 2021. The video surveillance showed a white vehicle enter the parking lot and park next to the FBI vehicle. Shortly after arriving, two unidentified persons can be seen exiting the white vehicle and squatting near the driver’s side door of the FBI vehicle. A short time passes before both vehicles are seen leaving the area.
During the investigation, two FBI employees recalled that they had observed two unknown males looking at the FBI vehicle in the parking lot the Friday before the theft of the vehicle occurred. The unknown males were seen exiting the parking lot in a dark-colored SUV with no visible plates. Law enforcement agents learned that the suspect vehicle had been reported stolen and was found in the possession of King’s girlfriend. The girlfriend told officers that her boyfriend, Timothy King, had loaned her the vehicle. Inside the suspect vehicle, agents found a laptop belonging to FBI and registration for the stolen FBI vehicle.
Law enforcement agents further learned from witnesses that King had admitted to stealing the FBI vehicle. A search warrant was executed at King’s residence and agents found an FBI communications radio that had been previously installed in the stolen FBI vehicle. The stolen vehicle was later located on Johnston Street in Lafayette. King was arrested on March 5, 2021 and confessed to stealing the FBI vehicle.
The FBI, Lafayette Police Department and Duson Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
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Shreveport Men Receive Federal Prison Sentences Totaling More Than 20 YearsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men involved in trafficking methamphetamine have been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote.
James Orville Haynes, 43, of Shreveport, Louisiana was sentenced to 108 months (9 years) in prison and Anthony Allen Kellogg, 40, also of Shreveport, was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison. Both men were also sentenced to serve 5 years of supervised release following their time in prison.
On May 11, 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information that Kellogg was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Agents also learned that Kellogg was going to obtain kilogram quantities of methamphetamine from his source of supply that evening or the morning. Law enforcement agents established surveillance of Kellogg on May 12, 2020 and followed him as he drove from Shreveport to Bossier City. Agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Kellogg, but he fled in his vehicle. While fleeing from agents, they observed him throw items from his passenger side window. Kellogg was stopped a short time later and agreed to speak with agents. He admitted to agents that he obtained 5 kilograms of methamphetamine that morning from his source of supply and provided 3 kilograms of the methamphetamine to a co-conspirator, who was later determined to be James Orville Haynes. Agents later retrieved the items thrown from Kellogg’s vehicle which were bags containing 2,976 grams of actual methamphetamine. The drugs were tested at the crime lab and determined to have 55% purity and had an actual weight of 1,636 grams of methamphetamine.
Following the seizure of the methamphetamine and arrest of Kellogg, law enforcement agents searched the residence of Haynes and found approximately 1,969.77 grams of methamphetamine. Haynes admitted to law enforcement agents that the methamphetamine belonged to him.
The DEA investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
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New Iberia Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Spencer Matthew Legendre, 23, of New Iberia, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 72 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, on distribution of child pornography charges. Legendre was also ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.
According to information presented in court, an undercover agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) engaged in an undercover chat on a Kik group referring to young girls. The undercover agent observed username “legend_re” which was later identified to be the defendant, Spencer Matthew Legendre, post prepubescent child pornography images from the Kik account over the internet.
A search warrant was executed on February 27, 2020 at Legendre’s residence and he was questioned by law enforcement officers. Legendre confessed to downloading child pornography and admitted that he had distributed child pornography using his Kik account. In addition, law enforcement agents seized Legendre’s cell phone and found numerous images of prepubescent child pornography located on the phone. A forensic examination of the phone revealed that Legendre had distributed child pornography on February 18, 2020.
The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Luke Walker 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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Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. –Two drug traffickers have been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to federal prison for their role in conspiring to possess and distribute illegal narcotics, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
Eduardo Lozano, a/k/a Isaiah Lozano, 20, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On January 4, 2021, Louisiana State Police stopped a vehicle on Interstate 20 for speeding. Lozano was a passenger in that vehicle and his co-defendant, Omar Guerra, 22, of Dallas, was driving. Mia Duarte, 21, also of Dallas, the sister of Lozano and girlfriend of Guerra, was a passenger in the vehicle. After being interviewed by troopers, Guerra gave permission for law enforcement to search the vehicle. Troopers found approximately 3 kilograms of methamphetamine and 31.7 grams of marijuana in a backpack on the floorboard. Guerra and Duarte admitted to law enforcement officers that they were being paid to pick up and deliver the drugs. Lozano admitted at the guilty plea hearing on June 16, 2021 that he also participated in the conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His co-defendants, Guerra, and Duarte, each also pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy charge.
Guerra was sentenced on October 8, 2021 to 108 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Duarte was sentenced on October 12, 2021 to 46 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release.
The DEA and Louisiana State Police conducted this investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
Casey Head, 39, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Following a lengthy investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Head and his five co-defendants, a federal grand jury returned an indictment in October 2020 charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During their investigation, agents with the FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force were granted an order to wiretap the phone of one of Head’s co-conspirators. Calls were intercepted revealing that Head helped distribute methamphetamine to many different buyers in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Head was intercepted on several phone calls and text messages speaking about amounts of methamphetamine and prices and discussing the distribution of the narcotics. He was arrested on October 21, 2020 and admitted his involvement in the drug conspiracy.
The FBI and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted this investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
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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Natchitoches Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Quintarence D. Morris, 29, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges.
Law enforcements agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information that Morris was distributing heroin and methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City and Natchitoches areas. Agents began investigating and surveilling Morris’ activities in July 2020 and observed his active involvement in the trafficking of illegal narcotics, specifically heroin. During their investigation, agents learned that Morris kept heroin at his residence in Natchitoches and was selling the heroin there.
On October 13, 2020, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Morris and a federal search warrant was issued for his residence. DEA agents were unable to locate Morris to serve the arrest warrant and on October 26, 2020 Morris was entered into the National Crime Information Center as a fugitive. While executing the search warrant at the residence, agents found heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. The DEA Lab tested the narcotics and found there to be a net weight of 144.321 grams of heroin.
A Nacogdoches, Texas Police Officer conducted a traffic stop of a rented vehicle on October 27, 2020 and Morris was the driver. The officer learned of the outstanding warrants for Morris and he was arrested and returned to the Western District of Louisiana.
The DEA, Natchitoches Police Department and Nacogdoches, Texas Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody prosecuted the case.
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Defendant Pleads Guilty to Theft of Funds in Connection with COVID-19 Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Burnell Gabriel Zachary, 37, of Arnaudville, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to receiving Coronavirus Food Assistance Program payments to which he was not entitled.
According to information presented to the court, agents with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (USDA), began an investigation in October 2020 after receiving information that Zachary submitted a fraudulent application to obtain monetary benefits through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The CFAP was established to provide monetary benefits for agricultural producers whose operations were directly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Eligible producers included those who suffered a 5% or greater decline, or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19. The CFAP provided direct relief to livestock producers.
The investigation concerning Zachary revealed that he had submitted a CFAP application via email on June 15, 2020 claiming that his livestock business sustained significant losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Zachary made false and fraudulent claims as to his cattle inventory at Zachary’s Ranch, LLC, and received payments from the USDA of over $70,000 due to those claims. Zachary admitted to making the false misrepresentations in the CFAP application and receiving over $70,000 in benefits and depositing them into his checking account.
“The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and others similar to it were created to assist those who are truly in need of financial assistance following the difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “When individuals try to defraud the system like this, it takes benefits from others who have suffered genuine losses. COVID-19 fraud is one of the top priorities of this office and we will continue to work with our federal agency partners to hold these defendants accountable for their cheating ways.”
“The USDA COVID-19 food assistance programs were meant to keep food on tables during this unprecedented time,” said Dax Roberson, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. “This prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those opportunistic fraudsters who would take advantage of a national emergency to enrich themselves.”
Zachary faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker is prosecuting the case.
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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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 9+ Years for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Knoxsom R. Peterson, III, 26, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 115 months (9 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm.
Peterson was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 27, 2021 and charged with felon in possession of a firearm. While investigating an incident in August 2020 when a Molotov Cocktail was thrown at the Caddo Parish Courthouse, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) uncovered evidence that led to the discovery of Peterson’s prohibited possession of a firearm. On October 20, 2020, agents with the ATF executed a search warrant at Peterson’s residence and found a pistol in an empty purse which had been reported stolen by a Shreveport resident earlier in the year. Initially, Peterson’s girlfriend told law enforcement that the gun was hers but her story as to how she came into possession of it was inconsistent with the facts. Peterson later admitted to law enforcement that he had purchased the firearm from an individual off the streets, despite knowing that because he is a convicted felon, he could not possess any firearm or ammunition.
Peterson has previous felony convictions for simple burglary in 2016 and aggravated flight from an officer in 2020.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan 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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Carencro Man Sentenced on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Terrance R. Jones, 27, of Carencro, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 80 months (6 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to information presented to the court, Jones was in the downtown Lafayette area on October 3, 2020. Multiple law enforcement officers were in the area on that same date and were called to a location in that area where a man had a firearm. The suspect turned out to be Jones and after further investigation, law enforcement officers learned that he was a convicted felon and as such, was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Jones was arrested and charged with possessing a Taurus semi-automatic pistol and admitted to law enforcement that he knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
Jones has previous felony convictions for attempted possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of hydrocodone (2014); and possession with intent to distribute marijuana (2019).
The ATF and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy 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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Shreveport Police Department Chosen as Participant in Partnership with U.S. Department of Justice to Help Reduce Violent Crime in ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook has announced that the City of Shreveport Police Department has been chosen to participate in the National Public Safety Partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook, along with Interim Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith, Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins, and Caddo District Attorney James Stewart held a press conference today to provide details about the announcement.
The Justice Department announced the 10 new National Public Safety Partnership (PSP) sites that will work with the Department of Justice, local agencies and community organizations to reduce violence in areas with elevated crime rates. PSP serves as a Justice Department- wide initiative that enables communities to receive coordinated training and technical assistance and an array of resources from the Department’s programmatic and law enforcement components. In addition to Shreveport, Louisiana, the 10 sites include: Antioch, California; Aurora, Colorado; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Gary, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky; North Charleston/Charleston, South Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; and Richmond, Virginia.
“The acceptance into this partnership has taken a long time and the involvement of many before the current administration,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Violent crime in the Shreveport area has grown despite the Herculean efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement to combat it. The assistance that will be given through this partnership to the Shreveport Police Department will equip our officers and city leaders to combat these growing trends and help to curtail the continued increase of crime.”
“Violence – gun violence in particular - has taken a heavy toll on communities across the country, and its impact has been felt most deeply in neighborhoods where resources have always been scarce and justice has historically been elusive,” said Amy L. Solomon, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs, whose Bureau of Justice Assistance administers the PSP initiative. “We are proud to join local leaders and our partners from across the Department of Justice as we work together to stem the tide of violent crime in these hard-hit communities.”
“From five to now 50 jurisdictions in seven years, PSP has taught the Department a new way to work with communities. We have learned that it is only by leveraging the power of community and using all our collective resources and dedicating all our efforts that we will reduce crime,” said BJA Acting Director Kristen Mahoney. “We look forward to partnering with the 10 new sites to achieve what we are all working toward—safe places to live and work.”
After decades of falling crime rates, statistics show that in many cities across the county violent crime increased in 2020. To address the increase in violence, specifically gun violence, on May 26, 2021, the Attorney General announced the Department’s new Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. The addition of 10 new PSP sites is one prong in that strategy. The PSP program began as a pilot in 2014 and was formally adopted by the Department as an intensive training and technical assistance protocol in June 2017. Sites must apply to participate. To be considered for selection, a site must have sustained levels of violence that far exceed the national average and demonstrate a commitment to reducing crime and enhancing community engagement.
More than 40 cities have participated in PSP in prior cohorts. The primary participating Justice Department components include the Office of Justice Programs; the Office on Violence Against Women; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the U.S. Marshals Service.
More information about PSP can be found at: http://www.nationalpublicsafetypartnership.org.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
In addition to leadership from local and federal partners, DOJ dedicates specific individuals to support each PSP site throughout the three-year engagement, to include a retired law enforcement executive, a DOJ Program Office Champion to serve as the point of contact for the site, federal law enforcement partners, and a program advisor. PSP federal law enforcement partners include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
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Physician Agrees to Pay $640,000 to Resolve Allegations of Anti-Kickback ViolationsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that Dr. Llewelyn Simon, an internal medicine physician from Monroe, Louisiana, has agreed to pay the United States $640,000 to resolve allegations that he accepted payments for referrals of home health patients.
Dr. Simon served as a medical director for the now defunct United Home Care home health agency and in that capacity, received monthly payments. The United States alleged that the medical director fees exceeded the fair market value of the services provided by Simon and that the excess fees were for referrals of patients, many of whom were Medicare beneficiaries.
Congress passed the Anti-Kickback Statute to prevent financial incentives from improperly influencing medical decision-making which can lead to excessive and unnecessary services. Specifically, the Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by federal health care programs.
“Improper financial relationships between health care providers can lead to overutilization and increase the cost of health care services paid for by the taxpayers,” stated Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “We will continue to ensure that health care decisions are based on the needs of patients rather than the financial interests of providers.”
The investigation of this matter was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Theriot handled the case. The resolution was the result of a coordinated effort between federal agencies and illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
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Alexandria Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Dustin O. Thompson, 36, of Alexandria, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking and firearm charges. The hearing was held before United States District Judge Dee D. Drell in Alexandria.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment on August 28, 2019 charging Thompson with two drug trafficking offenses and two additional counts involving the illegal possession of firearms. On October 4, 2021, Thompson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The charges in this case stem from an incident on March 12, 2018 when Thompson distributed a controlled substance to an individual in Alexandria and represented to him that the substance was heroin, when in truth and in fact, it was fentanyl. After consuming what he thought to be heroin, but in fact was fentanyl, the individual became unconscious and crashed his vehicle into the Alexandria, Louisiana Police Department. Law enforcement officers administered NARCAN in order to revive him. He was then taken to a local hospital where a NARCAN drip was administered to him for an extended period of time.
Later that day following the crash, law enforcement officers searched Thompson’s residence and found three loaded firearms, 54 grams of fentanyl, and a large sum of cash. In pleading guilty to the charges, Thompson admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl to other individuals.
Thompson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the narcotics conviction and not less than 10 years for the firearm conviction. He also faces not less than three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
The FBI, ATF and Alexandria Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
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Two South Louisiana Men Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men from South Louisiana have been sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays.
Deondrick W. Brown, 26, of New Iberia, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for drug trafficking. On June 12, 2020, Louisiana State Police Troopers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Brown. Law enforcement officers detected a smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and a K-9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle produced several bags of multi-colored pills/tablets suspected to be MDMA (ecstasy), with a total weight of 6.5 kilograms. The seized narcotics were sent to the DEA lab for testing and analysis. The analysis confirmed that the 6.5 kilograms of seized narcotics amounted to 46,089 individual pills/tablets containing methamphetamine. Brown was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and pleaded guilty to the charge on June 30, 2021.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker prosecuted the case.
In an unrelated case, Jordan Leon Huntsberry, 30, of Abbeville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Huntsberry was charged with making counterfeit United States money and pled guilty to the charge in June 2021. According to information presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing, while investigating a possible firearm-related crime on South College Road in Lafayette on July 25, 2020, officers with the Lafayette Police Department knocked on the door of Huntsberry’s residence. Officers were permitted to enter the apartment and observed in plain view several wet Federal Reserve Notes that appeared to be counterfeit, as well as a printer in the living area of the residence. A search warrant was obtained, and officers conducted a full search of the residence and found 467 suspected counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes of various denominations. Some of the notes were already cut and some were on printed sheets. Officers also located a printer, laptop computer, and other equipment used in counterfeiting. The seized Federal Reserve Notes were analyzed by a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service and determined to be counterfeited notes.
The U.S. Secret Service and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon prosecuted the case.
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South Louisiana Man Sentenced for Enticement of a Minor ChargeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Alton Leonard Lowe, 33, of Eunice, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 135 months (11 years, 3 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for enticement of a minor, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
According to information presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing in this case, Lowe was arrested in May 2020 in Jefferson Davis Parish on charges of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Lowe met the victim, who was under the age of 18 years old, through the Grindr app in November 2019. Grindr is a software application that utilizes the internet to allow individuals to meet and communicate. In December 2019, while Lowe was at least 31 years old, he began having sexual relations with the minor victim when he knew the victim was under the age of 18 years old. Lowe and the minor victim accessed the Grindr app via cellular telephones and communicated using the Grindr app and text messaging. Lowe provided the minor victim with a cellular phone and they communicated via text messaging, including what they were going to do the next time they were together.
Lowe pleaded guilty to the charge of enticement of a minor on May 12, 2021 and admitted to using a smartphone to persuade, induce, entice and coerce an individual under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity while having a criminal offense of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. PSC is part of the Department’s focus on reducing the incidence of sexual exploitation of children by directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to promote community action and public awareness and to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To learn more about Project Safe Childhood, go to www.justice.gov/psc.
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Firestone Polymers Agrees to Settle Multiple Environmental Claims at its Louisiana Rubber Manufacturing PlantRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Firestone Polymers LLC (Firestone) has agreed to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and several other federal and state environmental laws at the company’s synthetic rubber manufacturing facility in Sulfur, Louisiana. The company will also pay a total of $3.35 million in civil penalties.
The settlement requires several actions from Firestone, including meeting emissions limits, operating and maintenance requirements, equipment controls, limiting hazardous air pollutants from facility dryers, conducting inspections of heat exchangers, installing controls and monitors on covered flares, and installing flaring instrumentation and monitoring systems. After being notified of the violations but prior to the consent decree being lodged, Firestone took other compliance measures, including installing and operating a regenerative thermal oxidizer system to receive waste gases from dryers, reducing n-hexane solvent concentrations and inspecting and testing heat exchangers.
The Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and co-plaintiff Louisiana Department of Environment Quality (LDEQ), filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The complaint alleges that the facility emitted excess amounts of pollutants including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and hazardous air pollutants including 1,3-butadiene, n-hexane, styrene, formaldehyde, methanol, and others and failed to comply with requirements related to equipment such as dryers, cooling towers, and flares; leak detection and repair; mechanical integrity; and monitoring and reporting. The complaint also asserts violations of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act; the Pollution Prevention Act; and Louisiana state air pollution control requirements.
“Businesses such as Firestone Polymers have a sacred obligation to protect Louisiana’s environment and to use our natural resources wisely,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook for the Western District of Louisiana. “This settlement sends a clear message that those who don’t honor this obligation will be held accountable.”
“This settlement will ensure cleaner air for the citizens of Louisiana and the communities near Firestone’s plant,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It also enforces the company’s obligation to inform local communities of potential chemical hazards to aid state and local efforts to control accidental releases.”
“The Clean Air Act is vital to protecting people’s health, and the Sulfur Firestone facility violated these protections as Louisiana’s highest emitter of three types of hazardous air pollutants,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray of the EPA. “EPA’s legal and enforcement team, working with DOJ and LDEQ, held the company accountable for reducing emissions, and won additional benefits for environmental justice communities in Southwest Louisiana with improved air monitoring systems. I congratulate our team for their hard work on behalf of the people of Louisiana.”
“The violations detailed in the complaint represent Firestone’s disregard for the Clean Air Act, which is an underlying authority for environmental regulation in the United States,” said Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown of LDEQ. “LDEQ and our federal partner, EPA, will vigorously pursue any violators of the CAA. These penalties and the beneficial environmental project under the consent decree are the result of our efforts. The beneficial environmental project’s funds will be used to support additional ambient air monitoring in the Westlake and southwest Louisiana areas, which will assist LDEQ’s efforts to improve air quality for these communities.”
As part of the consent decree, Firestone will pay a civil penalty of $2,098,678.50 to the United States and $1,251,321.50 to LDEQ for a total of $3,350,000. Firestone will also complete a Beneficial Environmental Project in Louisiana by funding ambient air monitoring system upgrades in several locations in Southwest Louisiana.
The consent decree was lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. A copy of the decree will be available on the Department of Justice website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
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Shreveport Man Sentenced on Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Johnny Dewayne Young, Jr., 60, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 48 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
According to information presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing, deputies with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle Young was driving on June 8, 2020 for a traffic violation. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle and admitted to deputies that he did not have a driver’s license or a state identification card, nor had he ever possessed one. Young further admitted that a loaded firearm was in the vehicle and after a brief search, deputies found and seized the firearm.
Young has a lengthy criminal history, with the most recent felony conviction being for aggravated flight from an officer on January 10, 2018. In addition to that charge, Young has previous felony convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2005), possession of a controlled substance (2003 and 2005), aggravated battery (1997), possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (1997), and simple burglary (1989). As an individual having been convicted of a felony offense, Young knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The ATF, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
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Ruston Man Receives 20 Year Sentence for Possession of Methamphetamine and a FirearmRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Gerald Thompson, 37, of Ruston, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 240 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing drugs and a firearm.
The charges in this case are the result of a search warrant which was executed at Thompson’s residence in Ruston on March 12, 2020. Law enforcement agents entered the residence and found approximately 417 grams of methamphetamine, oxycodone tablets, and a large amount of cash in a safe in Thompson’s bedroom. Agents also found an ounce of methamphetamine on his person and a pistol and ammunition next to his bed.
Thompson’s girlfriend and three minor children were present in the residence when agents executed the search warrant. His girlfriend admitted to law enforcement agents that Thompson was her methamphetamine supplier.
The total amount of methamphetamine that was seized and considered as relevant conduct in this case was 733 grams. Thompson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on March 10, 2021.
The DEA, ATF, Louisiana State Police, and Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody prosecuted the case.
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Possession of Firearms and Drugs Lead to Time in Federal Prison for Two Louisiana MenRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE/SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the resolution of two cases in the Western District of Louisiana today.
Darius Kaleei Nelson, 29, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 58 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm. On November 30, 2018, law enforcement officers observed a video which was running over the internet of a female packaging and weighing marijuana. Their investigation determined that the location where the video was taken was a residence in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Officers traveled to the residence and made contact with the female on the video and asked if any narcotics were present in the residence. The female gave officers consent to search the residence and they found a plastic bag with approximately .75 pound of marijuana. The female’s boyfriend, later determined to be Darius Kaleei Nelson, was found upstairs in the bedroom. Nelson gave officers consent to search his bedroom and they found a suitcase containing approximately 8.7 pounds of marijuana. A Glock 9mm handgun and two magazines and a pistol drum magazine were found in the bedroom closet. Nelson originally gave officers a fictitious name, but officers were able to determine his true name and learned that Nelson was a convicted felon and in fact had an outstanding extradition warrant from California for a parole violation from an earlier conviction for second degree robbery in 2015. Nelson admitted the firearm was his and knew that as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing it.
The ATF and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
Cardaries Marks, 29, of Florien, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 84 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On September 29, 2020, members of the Northwest Louisiana Violent Crimes Task Force and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office met regarding their investigation into the sale of narcotics in the Many, Louisiana area. Agents obtained evidence showing Marks handed a bag of suspected methamphetamine and approximately 95 suspected ecstasy pills to an individual and Marks received payment for those narcotics. The purchased narcotics were sent to the crime laboratory for analysis and confirmed to be over 5 grams of methamphetamine and the pills were confirmed to contain methamphetamine with a net weight of 13.116 grams.
Approximately one month later, law enforcement agents obtained additional evidence regarding an encounter which occurred between Marks and another individual. Marks sold two firearms to the individual and he paid Marks $750 for them. As a convicted felon, Marks knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. His prior felony convictions were for possession of methamphetamine in July 2019, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics in October 2019.
The FBI, ATF, and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
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Former Louisiana State Police Trooper Indicted on Civil Rights Charge for Assaulting ArresteeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Jacob Brown, 31, a former trooper with the Louisiana State Police, was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana, for using excessive force against an arrestee, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook of the Western District of Louisiana and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
The indictment charges Brown with a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law. Specifically, the indictment alleges that on May 30, 2019, Brown assaulted an arrestee, identified in the indictment only as A.B., by repeatedly striking him in the head and body with a dangerous weapon (a flashlight modified with a metal tactical cap designed for breaking glass). The indictment further alleges that the incident resulted in bodily injury to A.B.
If convicted of the deprivation of rights charge, Brown faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The United States Attorney’s Office has previously acknowledged that it has open and ongoing criminal investigations into incidents involving Louisiana State Police that resulted in death or bodily injury to arrestees. Those investigations remain ongoing.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Luke Walker of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Katherine G. DeVar of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
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Illegal Possession of Drugs and Firearms Send Two Shreveport Men to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two defendants were sentenced today by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to time in federal prison for their role in two separate cases related to drug and firearms crimes.
Dale Wayne Green, Jr., 39, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 40 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Green went to trial in April 2021 and was convicted by a federal jury of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Evidence presented at the trial revealed that on June 11, 2019, the Shreveport/Caddo Narcotics Task Force received information that illegal narcotics were being sold at a residence on Harrison Street in Shreveport. Law enforcement agents began conducting surveillance and observed multiple vehicles parked in and around the residence, as well as suspicious activity by individuals visiting the residence. Agents approached the residence and observed Green drop an item on the ground and walk away from the area to the rear of a vehicle in the driveway. They later discovered the dropped item to be cocaine in a sandwich bag which contained individually wrapped packaged bags containing cocaine. Green also had a large amount of cash and car keys in his pocket that went to a car parked across the street. A K-9 officer conducted a sniff search of the vehicle and the K-9 officer alerted to the presence of narcotics. Green gave consent to search the vehicle and agents found a loaded handgun in the console. Also found in the car were numerous personal documents belonging to Green.
Green’s previous felony conviction was for manslaughter in Caddo Parish in 2002. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
The ATF, Shreveport Police Department and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon B. Brown and Mike T. Shannon prosecuted the case.
Miquon Gerrod Rachal, 29, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On November 18, 2020, Rachal was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to the charge on February 24, 2021. According to information presented to the court, on July 6, 2020, Louisiana State Police Trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for having flashing purple illuminated lamps on the undercarriage of the vehicle. The State Trooper asked the driver to exit the vehicle and the driver was unable to locate his drivers license or proof of insurance. The State Trooper noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and Rachal admitted to smoking it. The vehicle was searched, and the trooper found a small amount of marijuana and a loaded semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat.
Rachal admitted that the gun was his and knew that as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from having it. Rachal has prior felony convictions for possession of marijuana (2012), simple robbery (2013), and attempted possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon (2015).
The ATF and Louisiana State Police conducted this investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille Gilreath prosecuted the case.
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Member of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Receives SentenceRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Michael Shane Haynes, IV, 43, of Bossier City, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 42 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
Haynes was indicted in October 2020, along with eight other defendants in connection with a long-term investigation into the illegal drug trafficking activities in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. This investigation, dubbed Operation Hustle City, was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers working jointly on drug trafficking cases in the Western District of Louisiana.
During their investigation, law enforcement agents learned that Haynes was a known high-level dealer of marijuana in the Shreveport/Bossier City area and dealt marijuana from his place of business on West 62nd Street in Shreveport and his residence in Bossier City. In July 2018, agents were able to intercept phone calls and text messages between Haynes and a co-defendant wherein they discussed Haynes having marijuana. Through their investigation, agents observed Haynes selling marijuana on three different occasions to individuals, in the amounts of 441.9 grams, 230 grams, and 444 grams. Haynes was charged and pleaded guilty May 6, 2021.
One of his co-defendants, Danny Glen Roy Welch, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced September 3, 2021 to 37 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. The remaining seven defendants are Shamariay Duntae Locke, Jeremy Rechard Francis, Rico DeAngelo Lawrence, Robert Lynn Baulkman, Frank Gilford Joshua, IV, Keynon Letray Frazier, and Garrett Oshann Sudds and are set to go to trial on December 13, 2021.
The DEA, Shreveport Police Department and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
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Alexandria Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Marijuana and a FirearmRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Terrance Ray Goff, 29, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 66 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to information introduced in court, on August 22, 2019, a Louisiana State Police Trooper conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Goff. Troopers were given consent to search the vehicle and found a backpack on the front passenger seat which contained a loaded pistol, 116 grams of marijuana and a digital scale. Goff had previously been convicted for felon in possession of a firearm in Rapides Parish and was on parole for that offense at the time he was arrested on these charges.
Goff has a lengthy criminal history including two felony convictions for simple burglary in 2011, as well as felony convictions in 2015 and 2016 for felon in possession of a firearm and introduction of electronic device into a correctional center.
The ATF and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown 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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Three Lake Charles Men Sentenced for Crimes Involving FirearmsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that three defendants have been sentenced today in federal court. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the following three defendants for being convicted felons in possession of a firearm:
- Brandon Antonio Carter, 36, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 180 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On March 21, 2019, a Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Carter. The deputy detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and Carter admitted to having marijuana in his possession. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a loaded handgun and magazine on the driver’s floorboard containing 27 rounds of ammunition. Carter has previous felony convictions for second degree robbery (2007), distribution of cocaine (2007), and distribution of a controlled substance, schedule II, (2013), and knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
- Jeremiah Devon Richard, 23, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On October 2, 2019, officers with the Lake Charles Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence on Polk Street in Lake Charles. Inside the residence, officers found a semi-automatic rifle inside the closet of a bedroom that Richard was staying in. Officers also located a 12-gauge shotgun in the living room of the residence and learned that it belonged to Richard. Richard has previous felony convictions for simple burglary in both 2011 and 2012 and was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
- Jerrell K. Malone, 47, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Officers with the Lake Charles Police Department responded to a trespassing complaint on Moeling Street in Lake Charles on April 5, 2020. When they arrived at the residence, officers made contact with Malone, who admitted to having waved a firearm around when he had been asked to leave the residence. Malone admitted to having the firearm and that he had put it inside the residence. Officers retrieved and seized the loaded semi-automatic pistol that Malone had in his possession. Malone has previous felony convictions for possession of cocaine (1996), possession with intent to distribute cocaine (2008), and aggravated cruelty to animals (2019) and knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The ATF, Lake Charles Police Department and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted these investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig R. Bordelon, Danny Siefker, and Daniel J. Vermaelen prosecuted the cases.
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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New Iberia Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Dondrea Joseph, 28, of New Iberia, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 37 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, on firearms charges.
According to information presented in court, on April 12, 2017, Joseph was charged by a Bill of Information in Iberia Parish, Louisiana with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In February 2019, while this felony charge was pending against Joseph, a Breaux Bridge police officer reported that her Glock pistol had been stolen.
On September 29, 2019, Joseph was stopped for speeding on I-49 in Rapides Parish. Joseph did not have a valid driver’s license, and the vehicle he was driving was a rental. Officers were given consent to search the vehicle from Joseph’s girlfriend, whom the car was rented to, and they found a loaded Glock pistol with a 33-round extended magazine and a Glock switch attached to it, which converted it from a semi-automatic to an automatic firearm, under the driver’s seat. This firearm was later determined to be the same one stolen from the police officer in February 2019. At the time of the traffic stop, Joseph knew that he was under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and therefore, was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Joseph was arrested and charged with receiving a firearm and ammunition by a person under indictment.
The ATF and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy 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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Illegal Possession of Narcotics Sends Alabama Man to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that an Alabama man has been sentenced for his role in drug trafficking in the Western District of Louisiana. Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Mathew Mark Moreno, 51, of Montgomery, Alabama, to 84 months (7 years) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
On two different occasions in 2019, Moreno was driving a rental vehicle in the Western District of Louisiana and was stopped both times by law enforcement officers for a traffic violation. On February 11, 2019, Moreno was stopped on I-10 near Lake Charles, and again on May 3, 2019, he was stopped on I-20 near Shreveport. On both occasions, he was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Law enforcement officers found illegal narcotics in Moreno’s vehicle each time he was stopped. The first stop netted 767 grams of powder cocaine which was located inside the rear passenger compartment of the vehicle. During the second stop in May 2019, officers found 111 grams of heroin, 402 grams of powder cocaine, and 541 grams of Alprazolam in the trunk of the vehicle. Moreno pleaded guilty to the charge on May 6, 2021.
The DEA and Louisiana State Police conducted these two investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Duck Hunter Sentenced for Violating Hunting LawsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Kevin M. Berken, 60, of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Berken was sentenced to two years of probation, ordered to pay a fine of $5,000, and all of his hunting, fishing and trapping privileges have been revoked for the two-year term of probation. Berken was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
Berken was charged in a bill of information with one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by taking more than the daily bag limit of ducks in any one calendar day. According to evidence presented in court, Berken was an experienced waterfowl hunter, frequently hunted in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and participated in two hunts for ducks on December 27, 2018. During the first hunt on December 27, 2018, Berken and other hunters jointly shot, killed, and possessed 10 ducks. In a second hunt later that day, Berken and another hunter shot, killed, and possessed 12 more ducks. Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service encountered Berken and three other hunters that day and found them to be in possession of 29 various species of ducks. This was a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in that they exceeded the daily bag limit of six ducks per hunter in one calendar day. Berken pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted to taking more than the daily bag limit of ducks.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker prosecuted the case.
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WDLA News Round-Up for September 14, 2021Read the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the resolution of four cases today in United States District Court in the Western District of Louisiana. United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced the following individuals today:
Devonte Oshay Gater, 29, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm. On April 6, 2020, officers with the Monroe Police Department responded to a 911 call complaining that an unknown person jumped into someone’s car threatening to rob someone nearby and shoot up the street. When officer arrived, they found Gater sitting in the backseat of the car. When ordered to get out of the car, Gater told officers he could not walk due to wounds suffered in a shooting a few days prior. Officers opened the door and Gater inched his way down to the ground. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered a loaded revolver in the front passenger seat under a t-shirt. The female vehicle owner told officers the gun was not hers and that she had seen Gater brandishing the weapon prior to the arrival of the officers.
Gater has previous felony convictions for simple robbery (2011); theft of a motor vehicle and simple burglary (2015); and simple burglary (2018). As a convicted felon, Gater is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The ATF and Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Rayyun Derrell Sledge, 43, of Winnsboro, Louisiana, was sentenced 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Sledge was convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence in June 1999 and signed documentation acknowledging the waiver of his rights at that time. On May 8, 2020, Sledge went to Mike’s Gun Shop in Winnsboro to purchase a firearm. When completing ATF Form 4473 in connection with his attempted purchase of a pistol, Sledge signed the form certifying that his answers were true, correct and complete. A question on the form asked, “[h]ave you ever been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence?” Sledge checked “no” to the question and signed his name, knowing that his answer was false. This false response from Sledge misled and deceived Mike’s Gun shop into making the sale of the firearm to him. Sledge was charged and pled guilty on May 28, 2021.
The ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.
John Edward McIntyre, 37, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced 180 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of drugs and a firearm. On January 12, 2020, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on McIntyre for multiple traffic violations. Deputies noticed a digital scale in the cup holder of the vehicle. A K-9 officer alerted to the odor of illegal drugs coming from the Tahoe that McIntyre was driving, and deputies conducted a search of the vehicle. Inside the Tahoe, deputies found a backpack which contained a magnetic box with approximately 120 grams of methamphetamine, Clonazepam, Xanax and Concerta tablets, a hydrocodone tablet, 10 grams of marijuana, a large amount of cash, and a loaded semi-automatic pistol. At one point, law enforcement officers learned that McIntyre was distributing illegal drugs from a house located across the street from the West Monroe High School stadium. McIntyre was charged in this case with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and he pled guilty to the charges on May 25, 2021.
The DEA, ATF, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody prosecuted the case.
Benjamin Strong, 39, Mangham, Louisiana, was sentenced to 125 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The vehicle Strong was driving was stopped by Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies on January 17, 2020. Strong gave deputies consent to search the vehicle and they found methamphetamine and three handguns inside. Strong admitted to driving his co-defendant around the Monroe in exchange for money and methamphetamine. He further admitted to meeting with multiple people to sell narcotics and to taking his co-defendant to a supplier to purchase more methamphetamine. Strong was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and pled guilty to the charge on May 25, 2021.
The DEA, ATF, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody prosecuted the case.
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Rusk County Man Sentenced for Christmas Postal Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Henderson man has been sentenced to federal prison for violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Paul Wayne Kennedy, 39, pleaded guilty on April 19, 2021, to burglary of a United States Post Office, possession of stolen mail, possession of stolen money orders, damage to government property, theft of government property, and access device fraud. Kennedy was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle.
“Americans should know that their postal items and post office boxes are protected by the dedicated men and women of the Department of Justice and the United States Postal Inspection Service,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “When you send a letter or package, or order an item, have confidence that your mail is secure, and that any would-be thieves, like Mr. Kennedy, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Securing Postal Service facilities and safeguarding the U.S. Mail are top priorities for the Postal Inspection Service,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “Suspects thinking they can target the U.S. Postal Service and avoid capture are committing an egregious error in judgment. We will commit all available resources to investigations of this nature, relentlessly pursue offenders and bring them to justice. Both suspects in this investigation have now been sentenced, made possible by the many hours of work and cumulative efforts of U.S. Postal Inspectors, multiple local law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas.”
According to information presented in court, between the afternoon of Dec. 23, 2019 and the morning of Dec. 26, 2019, Kennedy burglarized post offices in Price, Texas; Bronson, Texas; Bon Wier, Texas; and Evans, Louisiana and attempted to burglarize post offices in Newton, Texas, and Singer, Louisiana. At each location he burglarized, Kennedy stole mail, packages, and property belonging to the U.S. Postal Service. At the Price, Texas, and Bronson, Texas, post offices, Kennedy was able to gain access to the safes and steal money and U.S. money orders. His accomplice, Angela Moore, 37, of Longview, accompanied Kennedy during the Price burglary and the Newton attempted burglary. Later, on Dec. 27, 2019, Kennedy attempted to use a debit card that he stole during the Evans burglary at the Margaritaville Casino in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Kennedy and Moore were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on June 18, 2020. Kennedy was also indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Louisiana on June 17, 2020.
Moore pleaded guilty to possession of stolen mail and was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison on May 13, 2021.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of the Louisiana State Police, the Rusk County Sheriff's Office, the Sabine County Sheriff's Office, the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Henderson Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld for the Eastern District of Texas and Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel for the Western District of Louisiana.
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Shreveport Man Involved in Drive-By Shooting Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Javerea Cockerm, 29, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 58 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
On September 7, 2019, the Shreveport Police Department received a complaint regarding a drive-by shooting. When officers arrived at the shooting scene, they learned that a male had gotten out of the passenger side of a car and opened fire on another vehicle. The victims in the vehicle were able to evade the shooting and drove off from the scene. Police officers were able to determine the descriptions of the shooter, the occupants of the vehicle, and what vehicle they were driving. Moments later, officers stopped a vehicle in a nearby neighborhood matching the description they received and were able to identify Cockerm as the shooter. Cockerm was sitting in the front passenger seat when officers stopped the vehicle and his physical build and clothing matched the descriptions provided. Officers discovered two firearms in the glove compartment in front of the passenger seat and an opened box of ammunition underneath the front passenger seat. Cockerm has previous felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute drugs (2014), aggravated flight from an officer (2015), and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2018). Cockerm knew that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell 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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Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Henry A. Wright, 42, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 48 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
Henry A. Wright was charged in an indictment and pleaded guilty to the charge on April 30, 2021. According to information presented to the court, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began surveillance of Wright on February 21, 2020 and watched him as he met an individual outside a business in Shreveport where he worked. Agents observed Wright exchange narcotics for cash with the individual. The individual was later stopped by agents and found to have tablets that he purchased from Wright in his possession. The tablets were tested by the crime lab and confirmed to be 316.7 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
The DEA conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
This case 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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Lafayette Firearms Store and Owner Indicted on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two individuals from Broussard, Louisiana, and a firearms business in Lafayette, Louisiana, have each been indicted for conspiring to deal firearms without a license, making false statements in records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer, and failing to file sales reports in connection with their firearms business located in Lafayette.
Jeremiah Micah Deare, 37, Sarah Elaine Fogle, 30, and Dave’s Gunshop, LLC, a business owned by Deare, have been charged in an indictment with one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, two counts of making false statements with respect to records of a licensed firearms dealer, and four counts of failure to file multiple sales reports. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of 619 firearms which were involved in the commission of these offenses.
Deare was the owner of Dave’s Gunshop, LLC (Dave’s) and the responsible party for Dave’s Federal Firearms License. Deare and Fogle did not hold a Federal Firearms License in their individual capacities. The indictment alleges that on or about August 13, 2019, a compliance inspection was conducted at Dave’s by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Dave’s, through Deare, was warned for numerous violations, including failing to complete an ATF-4473 (1 time), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for dispositions (67 times), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for acquisitions (62 times), transferring firearms without having a final response from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (2 times), inaccurate completion of ATF-4473 forms (111 times), and for missing firearms. The indictment alleges that, on that same day, the ATF investigator provided an Acknowledgement of Federal Firearms Regulations to inform Dave’s and Deare of their responsibilities as a Federal Firearms License holder. The acknowledgment was signed by Deare acknowledging that he understood he was responsible for familiarizing himself with the laws and regulations governing the operation of Dave’s.
The indictment further alleges that on September 19, 2019, Deare and Fogle attended an in-person warning conference at the ATF office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wherein the violations were discussed. Deare was provided the opportunity to comment on the violations and articulate the corrective actions that would be taken to ensure that future violations would not occur.
The indictment also alleges that Deare and Fogle willfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license by buying and selling firearms without complying with the recordkeeping and background check requirements required by federal law. Deare and Fogle acquired large quantities of firearms and ammunition from estate sales and other means but would not document the firearms in Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book as required by federal law. In addition, firearms brought to Dave’s to be sold on consignment were not logged into Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book and were not placed for sale at Dave’s.
It is also alleged that Deare and Fogle kept firearms at their residence without logging them out of Dave’s store inventory and would travel with the firearms to gun shows conducted at various locations in Louisiana and in other states. Deare and Fogle sold firearms at gun shows to non-Louisiana residents for which no ATF-4473 or background checks were ever completed. Their failure to conduct background checks resulted in the sales of firearms to prohibited persons, including convicted felons. Additionally, the sales of firearms at gun shows outside the State of Louisiana were not done through a dealer licensed in the state where the gun show was conducted as required by law. The proceeds from the out-of-state gun sales of firearms were not included as revenue for Dave’s, but instead Deare and Fogle used it for their own personal gain.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The ATF is conducting the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
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Defendants Receive Sentences of 10+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Thomas Shane Benefield, 46, of Bossier City, Louisiana, and Antravion D. Johnson, 24, of Shreveport, Louisiana, have each been sentenced in unrelated cases by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
Thomas Shane Benefield was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Benefield, along with five other individuals, was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2020 and charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty to the charge on May 5, 2021 and admitted to the court that he committed the offense. In early 2020, law enforcement agents began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Benefield and his co-conspirators. Agents learned that they were traveling to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine and bringing it back to sell in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. On June 12, 2020, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on Benefield and he gave consent to search the truck he was driving. Deputies found two firearms, along with 30.2 grams of methamphetamine and a scale in the truck. Benefield admitted to helping his co-conspirators distribute methamphetamine and that he collected money from many different buyers in the local area for the narcotics they purchased. In addition, Benefield purchased some of the methamphetamine so he could personally sell it and make money for himself. Benefield has previous felony convictions for manufacturing methamphetamine (2002) and possession with intent to distribute Schedule I (2009).
The FBI, ATF, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Antravion D. Johnson, who has a lengthy criminal history, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Johnson was charged by a federal grand jury for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and he pleaded guilty to the charge on May 5, 2021. The charge stems from an incident which occurred on February 12, 2021 when Shreveport Police Department officers executed a search warrant at an apartment on Peach Street in Shreveport. Johnson was inside the apartment when the warrant was executed. Officers found a loaded Glock pistol inside the residence and just outside of the apartment, officers found a loaded Micro Draco pistol inside a vehicle. Johnson admitted that he possessed the firearms knowing that as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from doing so. Johnson was previously convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm (2016), felony theft (2015), and felon in possession of a firearm (2017).
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody 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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Two South Louisiana Men Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men from south Louisiana were sentenced today by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau for illegal possession of firearms.
Eric Etienne, 33, of New Iberia, Louisiana, was sentenced to 65 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm. In May 2021, Etienne went to trial on the charge and was found guilty by a federal jury in Lafayette. Evidence at the trial revealed that on December 18, 2018, officers with the New Iberia Police Department discovered a video on Instagram showing Etienne possessing what appeared to be an AR-15 rifle, two AK-47’s, and a Glock handgun. Law enforcement officers were familiar with Etienne, who is a convicted felon, and were able to determine the location in New Iberia where the video had been taken. Later that day, officers responded to the scene where the video was taken. Upon arrival, Etienne was found standing near a silver sedan which was seen in the video and wearing the same clothes he was wearing in the video. Officers found the AR-15 and Glock handgun in plain view in the sedan. A search of a nearby residence recovered one of the AK-47’s. Etienne’s prior felony conviction was for attempted manslaughter in 2006.
The ATF and New Iberia Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ayo and Danny Siefker prosecuted the case.
Patrick Joiner, 54, of Erath, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. On October 18, 2018, a state search warrant was executed at Joiner’s residence by Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies. During the search, law enforcement officers seized methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, cash, and a loaded firearm. Joiner was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. As an individual having been previously convicted of felony crimes, Joiner was prohibited from possessing a firearm. His criminal history is lengthy, having been convicted of 6 felony crimes dating back to 1989.
The ATF and Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.
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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Crowley Man Involved in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Brandal Moore, 27, of Crowley, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 240 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for being involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment in October 2019 charging Moore and others with being involved in the drug trafficking conspiracy in the Crowley, Louisiana area. Moore pleaded guilty to the charge on May 27, 2021. During their investigation of Moore and his co-conspirators, law enforcement agents learned of Moore’s drug trafficking activities. Their investigation revealed that between April and September 2019, Moore and his co-conspirators used a house in Rayne, Louisiana to store methamphetamine, guns, and cash which they obtained from the distribution of narcotics. Moore sold the methamphetamine that he received from his co-conspirators to other methamphetamine dealers in the Crowley area in quantities ranging from one ounce to multiple ounces per transaction.
A search warrant was obtained by law enforcement agents for the house where the narcotics were being stored by Moore and his co-conspirators. During the search of the house, agents found 5 firearms, approximately 700 grams of methamphetamine, a notebook with drug ledger entries, and other drug paraphernalia. Inside a vehicle located on the property, agents found $15,000 in cash, approximately 350 grams of cocaine, 30 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately 5 kilograms of methamphetamine. Inside another vehicle on the property, agents found approximately 3,555 grams of cocaine located in a hidden compartment.
The FBI and DEA conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
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Three Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that three defendants have been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to federal prison for their involvement in the trafficking of methamphetamine.
Steven Charles Montgomery, 55, and Tabitha Nicole Stewart, 38, of Steele, Alabama, were both sentenced for their role in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Montgomery was sentenced to 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison. Stewart was sentenced to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison. Each will serve 5 years of supervised release following their release from prison. Montgomery and Stewart were stopped by a Louisiana State Police Trooper on July 11, 2020 for a traffic violation while driving on Interstate 20 in the Western District of Louisiana. Montgomery was the driver and Stewart the passenger of the vehicle. Troopers questioned both and asked for consent to search their vehicle, which Montgomery refused. A K-9 Trooper arrived and alerted to the odor of narcotics on the exterior of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a cardboard box containing 31 plastic bags of methamphetamine, all seized from the trunk of the vehicle. The net weight was 13,390 grams of methamphetamine. Stewart admitted to obtaining the narcotics from an individual in California and that they were driving them back to Alabama for distribution.
The DEA, Louisiana State Police, and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
In an unrelated case, Danny Glen Roy Welch, 46, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Welch was charged in an indictment in February 2021 for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Welch pleaded guilty to the charge on April 22, 2021 and admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy. Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of individuals in the Shreveport/Bossier City area in 2018, including Welch. Agents intercepted phone communications between Welch and a co-conspirator discussing the purchase of drugs from Welch, the price for the drugs, and when and where they would meet. Surveillance was established by law enforcement agents and they observed the methamphetamine being purchased from Welch’s co-conspirator who admitted that Welch had supplied him with the narcotics.
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.
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 Welch and his co-conspirators. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the federal cases.
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Local Businessman Pleads Guilty to Receiving Fraudulent Wire Transfer of over $17 MillionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – David D. DeBerardinis, 59, of Shreveport, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to a charge of wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. Pursuant to the plea agreement entered in court and signed by DeBerardinis, he has agreed to a court-imposed sentence of 15 years.
DeBerardinis was a Shreveport, Louisiana based executive who operated and managed numerous business entities. 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.
“Over the course of several years David DeBerardinis created an incredibly complex fraud scheme to give the impression that he was a successful fuel trader. He destroyed the lives of many people by stealing their savings to finance his extravagant lifestyle,” stated Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Mr. DeBerardinis used the friendships that he had with others to lure them into his scheme and many of them suffered greatly because of his deception and unlawful actions. We will not stop fighting to seek justice for the victims that he has left in the wake of his greed and careless actions.”
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that individuals like Mr. DeBerardinis who engage in financial fraud will not go undetected and will be held accountable. The FBI is determined to identify, investigate, and bring to justice those who are committing financial crimes to enrich themselves at the expense of others,” said FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. “We thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and the United States Secret Service for their strong partnership and unrelenting pursuit of justice.”
Sentencing has been set for January 4, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Cadesby B. Cooper are prosecuting the case.
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Pineville Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Billy Ray Jones, Jr., 39, of Pineville, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 57 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Jones pleaded guilty on May 18, 2021 to one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The charges stem from an incident in November 2019 when law enforcement officers from the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and Lecompte Police Department began investigating a burglary at a Burger King in the Lecompte area. Information obtained by law enforcement led them to suspect that Jones, who was the boyfriend of the restaurant manager, committed the burglary. Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence where Jones was living. Upon execution of the warrant, officers found the burglar’s attire and mask in a bag in the master bedroom closet, along with a wallet with identification belonging to Jones. Also in the closet were six firearms and two homemade silencers.
While searching the residence, an adult and juvenile approached from the nearby woods wearing camouflage hunting attire and both had rifles with scopes. Not knowing the adult male was Jones, officers directed them away from the residence. When they learned it was Jones, the female in the residence called them back and he arrived without the rifle that he had been previously carrying. Jones initially denied that the firearms, burglar’s attire and mask in the closet belonged to him, and that he had been carrying the rifle previously. Another search warrant was obtained for the rifle that Jones had been carrying and it was found hidden in a nearby field under tree limbs and pine straw. Jones was interviewed again and admitted to committing the burglary at Burger King and that he had purchased the rifle with money obtained during the burglary, as well as the fact that he had control of the six firearms and silencers in the closet.
Jones has prior convictions for attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2018), illegal possession of stolen things (2018), and simple burglary (2008) and was prohibited from possessing any firearms.
The ATF, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and Lecompte Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell 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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Several Defendants Sentenced in Separate Cases in Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/ MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the resolution of five cases today in United States District Court in the Western District of Louisiana, all of which are listed below.
SENTENCING HEARINGS – SHREVEPORT
United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced the following defendants:
James D. Stephens, III, 39, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Stephens pleaded guilty to the charge on April 1, 2021. The charges in the indictment stemmed from an incident on November 17, 2019, when a Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped Stephens’ car for a routine traffic violation. Inside the vehicle, deputy found more than 500 grams of methamphetamine hidden inside the car.
The DEA, ATF and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon prosecuted the case.
Marvelous Brown, 33, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months and one day in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On August 6, 2019, agents from the Shreveport Police Department narcotics task force encountered Brown in his vehicle near his home and detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Brown admitted to agents that he had been smoking marijuana in his vehicle and admitted to having a small amount in his house. Agents searched the house and found approximately 213 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and packaging material, along with two pistols in Brown’s closet.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
SENTENCING HEARINGS – MONROE
United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced the following defendants:
Danny Ray Wilson, 31, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 72 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On October 13, 2020, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle Wilson was driving to execute an outstanding arrest warrant on him. Law enforcement officers arrested Wilson and found a pistol loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition between the driver’s seat and center console.
Wilson has prior felony convictions for obstruction of justice, illegal possession of a stolen firearm, and illegal use of a dangerous weapon (2009) and simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling (2017 and 2018). As a convicted felon, Wilson is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The ATF and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
Lee Underwood, Jr., 53, and Ruby Jane McMillian, 35, of Eros, Louisiana, were both sentenced on drug and firearm charges. Underwood was sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison and McMillian was sentenced to 110 months (9 years, 2 months) in prison. Both were sentenced to 5 years of supervised release following their release from prison.
On November 20, 2020, law enforcement agents executed an arrest warrant for Lee Underwood at his home in Eros. Agents observed a firearm and drug paraphernalia in plain view at the residence and obtained a search warrant. During the execution of the search warrant, agents recovered a purse with McMillian’s driver’s license and three bags containing approximately 62 grams of methamphetamine along with the packaging. Agents also recovered two loaded firearms from Underwood’s bedroom, as well as methamphetamine in individually packaged baggies.
The DEA and ATF conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
Jory Terrell Williams, Jr., 30, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 209 months (17 years, 5 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of drugs and a firearm.
Williams was charged in October 2020 and pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to information presented in court, law enforcement agents began an investigation into the illegal activities of Williams in January 2020. A search warrant was later obtained and executed at the residence of Williams. During the search, agents recovered 241.325 grams of methamphetamine, several digital scales, a vacuum sealer, and plastic bags. In addition, a loaded Glock pistol and over $9,000 in cash was recovered. Williams admitted to possessing the firearm, knowing that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from doing so.
Williams has prior felony convictions for aggravated battery (2018), aggravated burglary (2010), and simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling (2010).
The DEA and ATF conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
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Shreveport Man Serving State Probation Found with Loaded Firearm to Spend Time in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Charlie Dion London, 28, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on a firearms violation.
London pleaded guilty on March 30, 2021 to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. According to information presented to the court at his guilty plea hearing, Louisiana State Troopers observed a driver in a vehicle on Mansfield Road in Shreveport with an obstructed license plate on May 5, 2020. Troopers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later determined to be London, refused to stop. A chase ensued and eventually the vehicle was apprehended. During a search of the vehicle, Troopers found a loaded firearm under the driver’s seat with a round in the chamber, along with marijuana and small digital scale.
As an individual having previously been convicted of a felony, London knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm. His prior felony convictions are for simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling (2012), and attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2019).
The ATF and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick 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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Former City of Shreveport Employee Sentenced for Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Tory Deshawn Jackson, 42, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 32 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for his involvement in a scheme to commit credit card fraud. Jackson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $409,769.56.
Jackson was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2020 for engaging in a scheme with a co-conspirator to fraudulently purchase fuel using Fuelman credit cards stolen from the City of Shreveport. He pleaded guilty on April 7, 2021 to conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to information presented in court at the guilty plea hearing, Jackson was employed by the Solid Waste Department in the City of Shreveport Public Works. In September 2017, using his position, Jackson stole three City of Shreveport Fuelman credit cards which he and his co-conspirator would use to unlawfully purchase gasoline and other items at Shreveport area gas stations.
The way the fraudulent scheme was carried out is that Jackson would meet a co-conspirator and others at a local gas station where they would use one of the stolen Fuelman credit cards, along with the Fuelman personal identification number of a Solid Waste Department supervisor, to pump fuel into large containers which could hold up to 500 gallons of fuel. Jackson’s co-conspirator and others would then take the tanks to a third party to sell, and the profit would be split among the co-conspirators. Many times, they would have to run multiple, successive transactions in order to fill up the tanks. From September 3, 2017 through Jackson’s arrest on October 16, 2019, the three credit cards belonging to the City of Shreveport were used to make transactions totaling $409,769.56.
Jawaski Johnson, Jackson’s co-defendant, is scheduled to be sentenced December 7, 2021.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
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Constable of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana Pleads Guilty to Misbranding Illegal SupplementsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – William Earl Maddox, 73, of Haynesville, Louisiana, the Constable of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to misbranding an illegal supplement, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
Maddox was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2020 with selling and misbranding illegal supplements online and in stores. At today’s hearing, he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of misbranding of a drug while held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce. In connection with his guilty plea, Maddox agreed to a forfeiture judgment not to exceed $50,000 to the United States and agreed to sell real property in Homer, Louisiana to satisfy that judgment.
According to information presented at the hearing, Maddox formed Middle Marketing, LLC in 2011. Shortly thereafter, he began operating two websites, www.sexassurance[.]com and www.middlemarketing[.]com, wherein he advertised for sale capsules called “Sex Assurance.” Maddox described the capsules on his websites as a “natural male enhancement solution.”
In 2017, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package that was shipped from Hong Kong and addressed to Maddox at his residence in Homer, Louisiana. The parcel was inspected and found to contain 2,000 unlabeled blister-packaged green capsules. The parcel was then referred to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA sent two letters to Maddox advising that the parcel had been detained for non-compliance with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and advising him of his right to respond regarding the admissibility of the capsules. Maddox did not respond to either letter, and so the capsules were surrendered.
In January 2018, FDA agents conducted a controlled purchase of two packs of Sex Assurance from Maddox’s website. An online receipt was issued that identified Middle Marketing as the seller and provided the email address and phone number associated with Maddox. A few days later, agents received a package shipped from Haynesville, Louisiana, that contained a business card in the name of “William Maddox” along with the two packs of Sex Assurance that were ordered. Both packs of Sex Assurance were labeled “100% natural herbs.” The Sex Assurance capsules were submitted to the crime lab for analysis and tested positive for sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. The packs did not list sildenafil as an ingredient of the product, nor did it list any identifying information of the manufacturer, packer or distributor.
In March 2019, agents executed a search warrant at Maddox’s residence. Agents found thousands of green blister-pack capsules, Sex Assurance labels, packaged Sex Assurance capsules, a computer, and other items to suggest Maddox packaged the product from his home. Maddox is not a licensed practitioner, nor has he ever registered with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to manufacture and distribute drugs as required by 21 U.S.C. § 360.
“The regulations put in place by the FDA are to be taken seriously. When individuals decide to purchase medications from outside of the United States and sell to unknowing victims, it could result in serious complications,” stated Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Cases such as these will continue to be brought against those who choose to abuse these regulations.”
"Misbranded prescription drugs that are disguised as dietary supplements and smuggled from overseas can present a serious health risk to those who buy and use them,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “The drugs often contain undisclosed active pharmaceutical ingredients and are made under unknown conditions. We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to traffic in misbranded prescription drugs.”
The defendant, William Earl Maddox, faces a sentence of not more than three years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Sentencing has been set for December 10, 2021.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy is prosecuting the case.
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Visit to Parole Officer Leads to Arrest and Conviction for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Sirtajro Tourei Heard, 31, of Shreveport, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 69 months (5 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
On October 1, 2019, Heard reported to his parole officer and was subsequently arrested and taken to the Caddo Correctional Center (CCC). Once at CCC, Heard made a phone call instructing an unknown individual to go to the residence where Heard was living and pick up a backpack and the thing on top of the kitchen cabinet. The next day, his parole officers went to that residence and obtained permission to search the residence from the owner. Officers located a Nike backpack containing a large quantity of clear baggies, digital scales an envelope filled with marijuana, and two baggies of marijuana. Also found on top of the kitchen cabinet was a pistol with a Glock switch attached and an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition. Heard admitted to possessing the firearm and knowing that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from doing so.
Heard’s prior felony convictions are for simple criminal damage to property (2008); possession of narcotics (2011); possession of marijuana (2012); possession of a narcotics (2016); and possession with intent to distribute narcotics and felon in possession of a firearm (2018).
The ATF and Louisiana State Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille Gilreath prosecuted the case.
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Shreveport Man Sentenced for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Kyion J. Washington, 37, of Shreveport, was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to information presented to the court, Washington was involved with other co-conspirators in trafficking methamphetamine between Waskom, Texas and the Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana areas. Law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were able to intercept phone conversations between Washington’s co-conspirators in which they arranged methamphetamine transactions.
On May 10, 2018, Washington traveled with another co-conspirator from Shreveport to Waskom to purchase methamphetamine and the men were later stopped by law enforcement agents for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, agents located and seized methamphetamine from Washington. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory and the substance was confirmed to be methamphetamine and weighed approximately 40.95 grams.
The DEA and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
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Two North Louisiana Men Headed to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two North Louisiana men each have been sentenced to 10 years in prison by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty for offenses involving drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.
Derrick King Brooks, 45, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to spend 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. In February 2020, officers with the Monroe Police Department received a crime stoppers tip that Brooks was supplying cocaine in the Monroe area. Law enforcement agents with the Metro Narcotics Unit began investigating and surveilling the residence where Brooks was staying on Medra Street in Monroe. Through their investigation, agents seized baggies from Brooks’ residence containing chunks of cocaine residue which were sent to the lab for testing and was determined to be cocaine. A search warrant was obtained for the residence and arrest warrant for Brooks. Agents arrested Brooks as he was leaving from the residence and a search of the residence was conducted. In his vehicle, agents found baggies with cocaine, cash and two cell phones. A search of the residence resulted in more bags containing cocaine, other narcotics, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, cash and drug paraphernalia. In total, agents seized over $11,000 in cash, over 2,159 grams of powder cocaine, 29 grams of crack cocaine, and 38 pills.
The ATF and Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Anthony Tywan Newton, 38, of Ruston, Louisiana, was sentenced to spend 124 months (10 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In March 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant at a residence on Eastland Avenue in Ruston. Agents seized plastic bags containing 17.5 grams of methamphetamine, 267 dosage units of MDMA, 7 dosage units of Xanax, 27 dosage units of penicillin, and 15 dosage units of Tylenol with codeine, as well as cash. When examining the serial numbers on the U.S. Currency, agents were able to determine that a portion of it was used in earlier controlled buys conducted by law enforcement agents and involving Newton. In addition to the drugs and cash, agents seized a pistol and rifle in Newton’s residence.
The DEA and ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody prosecuted the case.
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Shreveport Man Convicted of Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Lee Antonio Dunlap a.k.a Ra El Bey, 40, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to spend 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
According to information presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing for Dunlap, on or about May 17, 2019, a Shreveport Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop of Dunlap’s vehicle near the intersection of Line Avenue and Olive Street in Shreveport. Dunlap was the driver and only occupant of the vehicle. When the officer approached the vehicle, he observed a firearm in plain view on the passenger seat. The firearm was seized and determined to be loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition.
Dunlap was previously convicted of a felony offense and knew that he was prohibited from possessing the firearm. His previous convictions are for possession with intent to distribute marijuana (2014), possession or introduction of contraband into a penal institution (2011), simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling (2007), and simple arson (2000).
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. 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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Two Shreveport Men Sentenced in Federal Court on Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two defendants from Shreveport have been sentenced in the Western District of Louisiana.
Carnell L. Briggs, a/k/a “Bankroll” and “Bug,” 23, of Shreveport, was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote, to spend 49 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release on firearms charges. Briggs, a local rapper, was arrested on September 15, 2020, only months after serving a federal sentence for possession of a stolen firearm in the Western District of Louisiana. Agents of the U.S. Marshal Service Task Force executed an outstanding arrest warrant for illegal use of a weapon on Briggs at his girlfriend’s apartment. The warrant had been issued as a result of Briggs being implicated in a recent shooting in Shreveport. Agents knocked on the door and Briggs answered, holding a 9mm pistol. He was immediately taken into custody. Briggs admitted to agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that he purchased the firearm soon after being released from federal prison and knew he was prohibited from having a firearm in his possession.
Dschwadraa D. Wesley, 26, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to spend 120 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Wesley was charged in a federal indictment with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to the charge on January 5, 2021. The charge stems from an incident which occurred on February 3, 2020, when Shreveport Police Department officers responded to a domestic call at a residence. Law enforcement officers began to search for and located a vehicle in which Wesley was a passenger. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop and a chase ensued. During the lengthy pursuit, officers observed Wesley throw something out of the window into a ditch. Other officers stopped and searched the ditch and recovered a 9mm pistol which had been reported stolen in November 2019. When the vehicle finally came to a stop, Wesley was arrested and taken into custody. He admitted to possessing the firearm and knew that it was illegal for him to do so as a person convicted of a felony offense. Wesley’s prior convictions are for possession with intent to distribute narcotics (2013) and attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2015).
The ATF, U.S. Marshal Service Task Force, and Shreveport Police Department conducted these investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon B. Brown and Tennille Gilreath prosecuted the cases.
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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