Western District of Louisiana

MONROE, La. – A federal jury handed down guilty verdicts against three Monroe residents late Friday afternoon for trafficking illegal narcotics, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced. 

Thomas J.M. Goodin, 37, Meko R. Walker, 37, and Brittany S. Gix, 30, all of Monroe, were convicted after a four-day jury trial presided over by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty.

All three defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.  In addition, Goodin was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute more than 10 grams of phencyclidine (PCP), and Walker and Gix were found guilty of attempted possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

Testimony presented during the trial showed that Goodin traveled to California on October 4, 2017, and shipped approximately a pound of pure methamphetamine inside of a gift-wrapped present to Gix.  Agents intercepted the package and conducted a controlled delivery of the package to Gix’s home.  After Gix received the package, Walker arrived at the home to pick up the package, and left with the methamphetamine.  At that point, the Metro Narcotics Unit of Ouachita Parish arrested Walker and Gix.

In a second incident, a Louisiana State Trooper pulled over Goodin’s vehicle on November 30, 2017, in West Monroe on Interstate 20 traveling eastbound bearing California license plates.  After a K-9 alerted on the vehicle, the trooper searched it and found additional gift-wrapped presents containing two drink bottles filled with liquid determined to be 92.8 grams of pure PCP and a candle containing a plastic bag determined to be 343.1 grams of pure methamphetamine.

“Illegal drugs are wreaking havoc on our communities and prosecuting those responsible for selling this poison is a priority of our office,” Joseph stated. “These defendants will be spending substantial time in federal prison as a result of their crimes.  I want to thank the federal, state, and local law enforcement for their hard work and exemplary teamwork in tracking these defendants and investigating this case.  I also want to thank the prosecutors and staff for their work conducting this trial professionally and effectively.”

Goodin faces 25 years to life in prison, and Walker and Gix face 10 years to life in prison.  The defendants also face five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine.  The court set sentencing for November 6, 2019.

The DEA, Metro Narcotics Unit of Ouachita Parish, Ouachita Sheriff’s Office and Monroe Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Anderson Thompson of Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Office, Criminal Division, prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Travis Trumaine Singleton, 35, of Morgan City, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 50 months in prison and two years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays for possessing an assault rifle after being convicted of a felony, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced. Singleton previously pleaded guilty to the federal charge on April 16, 2019.

Morgan City Police executed a search warrant on January 19, 2019 at his mother’s home and found an Eagle Arms, Model Eagle 15, multi-caliber, semi-automatic rifle and 29 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition. He later admitted that he was in possession of the rifle, and that he also took a photo of the firearm on January 17, 2019, which further documented his possession of the weapon.

Singleton is a felon with a previous drug felony in state court. Under federal law, convicted felons are not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.

The ATF, Chitimacha Tribal Police and Morgan City Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Nicholas Joseph Felix, 27, of Lafayette, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.  Felix pleaded guilty on March 11, 2019. 

During a traffic stop of Felix’s vehicle on May 6, 2018, Lafayette police officers approached the vehicle and encountered the smell of burnt marijuana.  They searched his vehicle and found a Charter Arms, Model Bulldog, .44 Special revolver in the trunk. Nicholas Felix has two prior felony convictions for aggravated battery and obstruction of justice.  Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

The ATF and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Leonard Espree, 56, formerly of Lafayette, was sentenced to 20 months in prison and five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. for stealing nearly $300,000 from three finance companies.  Espree was also ordered to pay $294,292.12 restitution. He pleaded guilty April 3, 2019.

Leonard Espree was the owner and operator of Ameritek Office Solutions in Lafayette, which sold and serviced office equipment.  Espree submitted false documentation in the names of existing local businesses to three finance companies in 2015 and 2016 to obtain payment for office equipment supposedly supplied to these businesses.  The three companies approved eight of the transactions for which Espree received a total of $294,292.12.  However, Espree never sold or delivered equipment to any of the businesses. 

The FBI investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – A Delhi, Louisiana, farmer pleaded guilty Monday to lying to more than seven financial institutions, insurance providers and government entities in an effort to obtain nearly $17 million illegally, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced. Thomas Dickerson, 45, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty for making false statements to the Commodity Credit Corporation.

According to the guilty plea, Dickerson was a Franklin Parish Louisiana farmer who, during the 2015 crop year, used at least 13 farming entities he was either a part of or was the sole owner of to certify farming acreage in Catahoula, Franklin, Tensas, Richland, Madison and Morehouse parishes in Louisiana, as well as Ashley, Chicot and Drew Counties in Arkansas.  He applied for crop production and grain storage loans from AG Resource Management, farm operating loans from various FDIC insured banking entities, credit from seed and chemical dealers such as Greenpoint AG LLC and Jimmy Sanders Seed, advances on contracts with Kennedy Rice Dryers, insurance policies and claims from Producers Agriculture Insurance Company and CGB Insurance Company, and several marketing assistance loans from the Commodity Credit Corporation.  Dickerson lied on many of these applications in order to obtain loans and other compensation by overstating or understating the amount of crops produced or claiming crops as collateral when he’d already sold the crops or didn’t possess them.  He stole $16,985,409.71 during the course of the scheme.

“This case should serve as a warning to those who engage in crooked financial schemes,” Joseph stated.  “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting taxpayer money set aside to help our farmers and prosecuting those who cheat financial institutions and insurance companies for personal gain.  The defendant’s conduct in this case not only caused significant financial loss to victims throughout northeast Louisiana, but also undermined the integrity of our agricultural finance system.  This type of behavior will not be tolerated in the Western District of Louisiana.”

Dickerson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $10,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for November 6, 2019.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case.  United States Attorney David C. Joseph and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields are prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Sulphur, Louisiana, man was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. to 37 months in prison and five years of supervised release for illegally possessing a shotgun and pistol. James Bergeron, 29, previously pleaded guilty for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon on April 11, 2019.

According to information presented in court, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on October 19, 2018 at Bergeron’s Sulphur residence where they found a Browning 12-gauge shotgun and a Ruger .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol.  Bergeron, a convicted felon, was present at the time of the search and admitted to ownership and use of the firearms.

He was convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of Texas on September 26, 2013, for bank robbery and in the 14th Judicial District Court, Calcasieu Parish, on August 25, 2017, for possession of methamphetamine.  Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

The ATF, Lake Charles Police Department and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for reductions in crime.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lake Charles man who led police officers on a vehicle pursuit that ended in a crash was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Dane Darbonne, 29, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain Jr. after pleading guilty on April 11, 2019, for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to information presented in court, Darbonne purchased a Savage Model 110-caliber, 30-06 rifle from an individual on August 10, 2018.  One day after taking possession of the firearm, Darbonne led Lake Charles police in a high-speed car chase.  Darbonne crashed the car and fled the scene on foot.  Officers recovered the rifle from the vehicle Darbonne was driving.

Darbonne is a felon who was previously convicted for possession of a firearm in a firearm free zone, assault by drive-by-shooting, attempted manslaughter, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of cocaine.  Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

The ATF and the Lake Charles Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Alex Joseph Suire, 25, of Maurice, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced.

According to the guilty plea, Suire attempted to purchase a Smith & Wesson SD9VE, 9 mm semi-automatic pistol on January 25, 2019, at a Lafayette sporting goods store.  In order to purchase the firearm, he was required to fill out an ATF Form 4473 in order to complete a background check.  Suire answered “no” to the question which asks the applicant to report pending felony charges.  At the time, he was aware that he had been charged with a variety of felony offenses in state court, which included home invasion, simple battery, domestic abuse battery, simple assault, intimidating witnesses and simple burglary.

Suire faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for November 7, 2019.

The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Emerson Eugene Stanton, 56, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 10 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography that included sexually explicit images of juveniles.  Judge Doughty also sentenced Stanton to five years of supervised release following his incarceration.

According to information presented in court, Stanton’s employer found internet searches for nude images of children on the defendant’s cell phone, and took the phone that day to the West Monroe Police Department.  Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for Stanton’s cell phone and discovered images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors.  A search warrant was also executed at Stanton’s home where officers found another cell phone containing more images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, including one of the same images officers found on the phone Stanton possessed at work.  Stanton pled guilty to these charges on March 8, 2019.

Homeland Security Investigations and West Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls.  Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app.  Tips may be submitted anonymously.

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MONROE, La. – A New Orleans, Louisiana, resident was sentenced Wednesday to 71 months in prison and five years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining disaster-assistance benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following severe flooding in Monroe, Louisiana, announced United States Attorney David C. Joseph.

Chad Lightfoot, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty, who presided over the trial in this case.  Judge Doughty also ordered the defendant to pay $23,684.71 in restitution to FEMA and a $10,000 fine.  Lightfoot was convicted on March 14, 2019, after a four-day trial. 

Evidence presented at trial showed that, after a federal disaster was declared on March 13, 2016 following severe flooding in Monroe, Louisiana, Lightfoot applied for disaster grant assistance with FEMA for damage to property he owned on South Fourth Street in Monroe.  Lightfoot listed the property as his primary residence, when in reality, the property was abandoned and unoccupied and he lived in the New Orleans area.  Prior to the property’s inspection by FEMA on March 30, 2016, Lightfoot obtained a Louisiana Identification Card to appear as though he lived there.  He also submitted a fraudulent bill to FEMA from Cox Communications to establish proof of occupancy.  A Cox representative testified at trial that Cox does not provide services in Monroe.  As a result of his fraudulent claims, FEMA sent Lightfoot $23,684.71 for home repairs, rental assistance, and personal property.  Lightfoot also submitted two appeals to FEMA, which included $115,669 and $122,500 in repair estimates.

The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.

Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected] (link sends e-mail).  Live operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To learn more about the NCDF please visit the website at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment on June 26, 2019, charging Roger D. Boggs, 50, of Alexandria, with bank fraud and making false statements on loan applications in order to receive more than $190,000.  Boggs was charged with one count of bank fraud and two counts of false statements on loan applications.

According to the indictment, Boggs engaged in a series of schemes to obtain a commercial loan from Red River Bank between May 2015 and March 2016. Boggs submitted fraudulent stock certificates and signed a fraudulent mortgage in support of his loan request, specifically, on June 5, June 11 and September 25 of 2015.  Among other things and in an effort to influence the bank to grant his loan application, Boggs falsely claimed that he owned 26 million shares of the company American Specialty Alloys Inc. (ASA), which he valued at $9 a share and pledged 1 million ASA shares to the bank as collateral.  Boggs requested an additional disbursement to the loan on June 11, 2015, and he renewed the existing loan on September 25, 2015, both times pledging 1 million shares of ASA stock as collateral. 

Boggs also fraudulently offered the bank a mortgage on real estate he allegedly owned in Kentucky but failed to inform the bank that he had previously sold the property on September 12, 2015.  The bank disbursed a total of $198,712 to Boggs in reliance on the false information he provided.

If convicted, Boggs faces 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud and false statement on a loan application. He also faces up to five years of supervised release, a $1 million fine and restitution.

The FBI conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SHREVEPORT, La. – An Oak Grove woman who trafficked methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which tested to be 98% pure, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. 

United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty also sentenced Sedonnia Axl Lee Bass, 28, during a revocation hearing to serve an additional 15 months in prison, to run consecutive with the 10-year sentence, for violating her supervised release conditions related to a previous conviction stemming from a federal drug charge in the Middle District of Florida.

West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s deputies responded to a domestic violence call on November 25, 2018, at an Oak Grove residence and made contact with Bass, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in the driveway.  Bass told the deputy that she had not seen the altercation and would not say why she was there.  While talking with Bass, the officer noticed that she was trying to conceal something near the center console.

A search of the car revealed a black bag containing small baggies, a scale, a spoon and a pink glass-smoking pipe wrapped in a handkerchief on the floorboard area of the driver’s side.  The deputy also found a clear plastic bag between the center console and the driver’s seat containing 117.0549 grams of 98% pure methamphetamine.  Bass admitted that the methamphetamine found in the vehicle belonged to her and stated that she sold methamphetamine in and around the Oak Grove area.

When Bass identified herself, the deputy recognized her name and knew that she had active arrest warrants and placed her under arrest.  At the time of her arrest, Bass was on supervised release for a previous drug conviction in the Middle District of Florida, where she received a sentence on March 25, 2010, of 120 months in federal prison and 60 months of supervised release following her confinement, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. 

The DEA, West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office and Oak Grove Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Tommy Devereaux Warren, 40, of Shreveport, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to serve 57 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release following his incarceration, for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.  Judge Walter also sentenced Warren to serve an additional three months in prison for violation of his supervised release conditions.

According to information presented in court, Warren was a resident of the City of Faith Halfway house in Monroe and was serving a term of federal supervised release.  As a resident of the halfway house, Warren was subject to searches of his property, which included a pickup truck he was allowed to drive and park on the property.  Halfway house employees conducted a search of Warren’s vehicle on December 11, 2018 and found a pistol in a bag behind the driver’s seat.  They called Monroe Police who seized a Raven Arms pistol, model: MP-25, .25-caliber pistol loaded with seven rounds of ammunition.  Warren pleaded guilty to the current federal charge on March 21, 2019.

Tommy Warren has prior felony convictions including a 2007 conviction in the Western District of Louisiana for possession of a firearm by a felon.  Under federal law, convicted felons are not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.

The ATF and Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SHREVEPORT, La. – A Rodessa, Louisiana resident was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. 

Stanley Simmelkjaer, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty on March 22, 2019.  Walter also ordered the defendant to serve five years of supervised release following his incarceration.

According to information presented in court, Shreveport Police observed Simmelkjaer using three properties that he owned on Sumner Street in Shreveport to distribute illegal narcotics.  Simmelkjaer sold marijuana from two of his Sumner Street properties between February 2018 through July 2018 while his tenant sold marijuana from his third property located on Sumner.  During this time, police conducted surveillance on Simmelkjaer and observed him travel to two properties on East Front Street in Rodessa before and after the drug sales.  Law enforcement agents executed search warrants on August 1, 2018, at all five locations and recovered digital scales and approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine, some of which appeared to be packaged for distribution, from one of the properties located on Sumner Street and one located on East Front Street.

Under federal law, certain drug charges carry mandatory minimum sentences.  In this case, Simmelkjaer possessed more than 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, which carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years.

The DEA and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – A Lecompte man who pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on March 8, 2019, after trying to dispose of the firearm during his arrest, was sentenced Tuesday to serve time in federal prison, said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.

United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced Timothy Jackson Van Mol, 35, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.  According to federal law, as a convicted felon, Van Mol is not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition.

Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputies made contact with Van Mol on March 5, 2018 on Lamourie Road near Lecompte while executing an outstanding state warrant for non-support.  Upon exiting his vehicle, Van Mol removed a chrome handgun from his waistband and threw it toward a nearby ditch full of water.  The firearm retrieved by officers just off the bank of the ditch was a Sig Sauer, model SP2022, .40-caliber pistol.  Van Mol has multiple felonies in state court in 2009 including burglary and drug possession. 

The ATF and Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.                                              

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal grand jury indicted Carol Bates, 48, Faith Alexander, 27, and Marquise Perry, 34, all of Shreveport, Wednesday for stealing more than a quarter of a million dollars from Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC).

All three were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  In addition to the conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bates was charged with 12 counts of wire fraud and Perry was charged with three counts of wire fraud.

According to the indictment, as the BPCC comptroller, Bates used her position to access an internal BPCC computer system and issue approximately $259,591.87 in refunds to Alexander, Perry and five others from 2013 to 2016.  They were not qualified to receive the funds, and, in most cases, they were not even attending BPCC during the semesters they received the monies.  In total, Bates caused 45 fraudulent refunds to be issued. Perry received seven refunds totaling $49,524.65 from 2015 through 2016 and Alexander received eight refunds totaling $45,482.65 from 2014 through 2016. The remaining 30 refunds were issued to five unnamed co-conspirators who, after receiving the money, transferred two-thirds or a half of it to Bates.

If convicted, the defendants face 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine for each count.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana Office of State Inspector General conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Reginald T. Warren, 37, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday to 300 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.

According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents with the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on March 7, 2018, for Reginald Warren’s residence in Natchitoches. Agents found a total of more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine in the residence. They also found a loaded Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver in close proximity to 1 pound of the methamphetamine. Warren admitted to possessing the illegal drugs and firearm at a March 21, 2019 guilty plea hearing.

Warren’s co-defendant Temisan Smith, 32, of Pasadena, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute ecstasy on December 13, 2018. According to her guilty plea, she was transporting illegal drugs at Warren’s direction that same day from the Houston area to Natchitoches Parish when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on her vehicle. Agents found a shoebox in the trunk containing approximately 16,000 ecstasy pills and a pint of suspected promethazine syrup.

“Illegal drugs are wreaking havoc on our communities and prosecuting those responsible for selling this poison is a priority of our office,” Joseph stated. “This defendant will be spending 25 years in prison for his crimes.  I want to thank the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force and the Natchitoches Parish District Attorney’s Office for their hard work and collaboration with federal law enforcement and my office in this case.”

 “Methamphetamine brings turmoil into the lives of those who are addicted to or live around it,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said. “DEA, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to attack the scourge of methamphetamine distribution in the Western District of Louisiana and beyond.  The lengthy sentencing of this individual should be a warning to those who want to sell drugs.  We are going to catch you and put you in prison for a long time if you distribute this poison in our communities. ”

“I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts in this case and for their ongoing partnership with us in investigating and prosecuting illegal narcotics cases in Natchitoches Parish,” said Natchitoches Parish District Attorney Billy Joe Harrington. “I also thank the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force for their continued relentless work in identifying and arresting narcotics traffickers and, in effect, curbing the flow illegal narcotics in our parish.”

Smith was sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release on April 15, 2019.

The DEA, Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force and Liberty County Sheriff’s Office in Texas conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Ryan Taylor, 19, of Lake Charles, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to serve 26 months in federal prison for firearm theft from a licensed firearm dealer. 

According to information presented in court, Taylor and at least two other individuals stole three firearms on July 8, 2018 from a pawnshop in Lake Charles.  Video surveillance from that night revealed a truck driving up to the business and someone attaching a rope to the front of the truck and then the other end to the front door of the business.  The driver then backed away shattering the glass on the front door.  Three individuals then entered the business and stole the following firearms from the shop’s inventory:  a Savage, model 110, 30-60-caliber rifle, a Tikka, model M695, .270-caliber rifle, and a Savage, model 111, 30-06-caliber rifle.  Taylor was later arrested and one of the stolen firearms was found with him.  During his guilty plea on February 15, 2019, Taylor admitted to taking part in the theft.

The ATF and Lake Charles Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Buddy Keith Myers, 24, originally from Simms, Texas, and an inmate at Allen Correctional Center in Kinder, Louisiana, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to serve three years and one month in federal prison for making threats against the President of the United States.  Summerhays also ordered Myers to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

Myers wrote a series of letters from February 12, 2018 to March 10, 2018, while he was an inmate at the Allen Correctional Center, threatening death or bodily injury against President Donald Trump.  Myers drafted most of the letters on inmate request forms and submitted them to prison officials, and mailed at least one of the letters to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.  According to court documents presented during his guilty plea on August 28, 2018, Myers acknowledged to law enforcement officers that his threats were serious.

The U.S. Secret Service and Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – Derrick Antonio Hall, 37, of Monroe, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.

According to the guilty plea, Hall drove to a gas station in Monroe on July 20, 2018, and left the car idling with loud music playing as he entered the gas station.  Monroe police arrived shortly thereafter and observed the unattended vehicle.  When the officers approached Hall upon his return to the vehicle, they smelled marijuana coming from inside the car and saw a bag of suspected marijuana.  During a search of the vehicle, an officer found a Glock, Model: G26, 9 mm-caliber pistol with an extended magazine containing 24 rounds of ammunition.

Hall was convicted in 2001 in state court for carrying a firearm on school property and sentenced to three years in prison.  He was also convicted in 2004 in state court for distribution of cocaine and sentenced to five years in prison. Under federal law, a felon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Hall faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing is scheduled for October 2, 2019.

The ATF and Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Demyia S. Porter, 39, and Naquita N. Graves, 40, both of Canton, Mississippi, were sentenced Friday to 51 months and 57 months in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.  They were also sentenced to five years of supervised release following imprisonment.

A Louisiana State trooper initiated a traffic stop August 20, 2018, on Interstate 20 in Webster Parish on a vehicle Porter was driving.  After questioning Porter and Graves, who was the passenger of the vehicle, the trooper obtained consent by Porter to search the vehicle.  He found $2,647 in Graves’ purse and approximately 10 kilograms of suspected cocaine in a suitcase discovered in the trunk of the car.  Graves and Porter admitted to traveling to Dallas, Texas, to pick up the illegal drugs for a third unnamed individual. Graves pleaded guilty on February 7, 2019, and Porter pleaded guilty on February 15, 2019.

The DEA and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Nathan Burl Cain II, the former warden of the Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport, Louisiana, and his ex-wife, Tonia Bandy Cain were sentenced to 38 months and 8 months in prison, respectively, by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell.  They were also sentenced to two years of supervised release following imprisonment and were ordered to pay $42,501.95 in restitution.

On March 13, 2019, Nathan Burl Cain, II, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the middle of a trial that began on March 11, 2019. Tonia Bandy Cain pleaded guilty on July 9, 2018 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Nathan Cain conspired with his ex-wife, who served as the manager of the business office of the facility, to use Louisiana Department of Corrections bank cards to purchase personal items, while misrepresenting that such items were purchased for official business.  The bank cards were used to purchase furniture, pet supplies, toilet paper, gun parts, Christmas decorations, yard tools, tires, a pressure cooker that was given as a gift to a third party, and other items.

Additionally, Nathan Cain commissioned the construction of a house on prison grounds for himself and did not bid the construction as required by law.  Instead, purchases for the construction were made on bank cards structured in a manner to avoid detection by the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

“Our public officials have a duty to uphold the law and act in the interests of those they serve,” Joseph stated.  “This prosecution and sentence of imprisonment should send a clear message:  corruption by our public servants will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  I hope the resolution of this case serves to repair our citizen’s trust in the many public servants who faithfully and honestly fulfill their duties every day.  I want to thank Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street’s office and the FBI for investigating this case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Walker and David Ayo for their work prosecuting this matter.” 

“The people of Louisiana are absolutely fed up with corruption by public officials,” said Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street.  “The sentences handed down today should make it clear to anyone who abuses the public trust and corrupts their office for personal gain: no matter who you are or what connections you think you have, you had better be prepared to go to jail.  The Louisiana OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to make sure of it. Thanks again to United States Attorney David Joseph and his staff for their outstanding professional work in prosecuting this matter.”

The FBI and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – A Shreveport man was sentenced on Wednesday to serve time in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.

Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. sentenced Bryan Thomas Robinson, 38, to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Robinson pleaded guilty to these charges on February 20, 2019.

According to information presented in court, a Shreveport police officer conducted a traffic stop on Robinson’s vehicle on October 28, 2017, for no tag information on the vehicle.  The officer smelled marijuana and conducted a search of the vehicle where he found a cooler in the trunk of the car containing a glass bong, 49 grams of marijuana in a blue bag, pills, a digital scale, additional packaging baggies and a Hi Point .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun.  Robinson admitted to possessing the firearm telling officers that his neighborhood was dangerous and he needed the gun for protection.

At the time of his arrest, Robinson was a felon who was convicted on February 25, 2013, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Under federal law, a felon is not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition.

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that illegal alien and felon Shandy Salgado-Almendaris, 39, a Mexican citizen living in Benton, Louisiana, was sentenced on Wednesday. Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. sentenced Salgado-Almendaris to 21 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States after being removed and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.    

Bossier Parish Narcotics Task Force agents conducted an investigation on August 9, 2018, at a Benton residence and encountered Salgado-Almendaris. Agents searched the home and found a Rohm GmbH (RG Industries), Model: RG-14, .22-caliber revolver in the master bedroom area. The firearm was seized and Salgado-Almendaris was arrested. Salgado-Almendaris had been previously removed from the United States three times at locations in Texas and Louisiana. The defendant is a convicted felon who has a previous criminal history involving possession of cocaine. He pleaded guilty to the current federal charges on February 20, 2019, and faces removal from the United States after serving his prison term. 

United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the ATF, and the Bossier Parish Narcotics Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Andres Garcia-Mora, 28, a Mexico citizen, was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for illegally re-entering the United States after being previously deported six times.  

Louisiana State Police arrested Andres Garcia-Mora on August 23, 2018, in Bossier Parish for possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated, no driver’s license and an open container.  Louisiana State Police notified Homeland Security Investigations agents about the arrest, who then discovered that Garcia-Mora was in the United States illegally after being removed from the United States six times between 2009 and 2016.  During that time, Garcia-Mora used at least eight aliases in his attempts to enter the United States.  The last removal took place on December 30, 2016, near Del Rio, Texas. Garcia-Mora’s criminal history includes three convictions for federal immigration offenses and three state misdemeanor convictions in Texas and Louisiana for simple battery, a liquor violation and driving while intoxicated.  He pleaded guilty to the current federal charge on May 30, 2019, and faces removal from the United States after serving his prison term.                                                     

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that James Goldman Grant, 67, of Benton, Louisiana, was sentenced Monday to four years and three months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for possession of child pornography.  He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender.

According to information presented in court, law enforcement agents discovered that James Grant’s friend, James Robert Wilson, 34, of Bossier City, Louisiana, had been downloading child pornography.  During a search of Wilson’s home on November 6, 2017, agents found more than 100 images of child pornography on electronic devices.  Wilson admitted to possessing and distributing images and videos of child pornography and also told the agents that he had met with James Grant, a retired Bossier Parish Sheriff’s deputy, at Grant’s home to view and exchange child pornography.  During a search of Grant’s home on November 6, 2017, agents discovered a thumb drive containing approximately 18 videos and 23 images of child pornography.  After his arrest, Grant admitted to meeting with Wilson at his home and admitted to downloading the child pornography to watch together with Wilson while he was there.  James Grant pleaded guilty on February 11, 2019.

James Robert Wilson pleaded guilty on December 11, 2018 for distributing child pornography, and he was sentenced on March 20, 2019 to 188 months in prison, five years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. 

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.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls.  Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app.  Tips may be submitted anonymously.

The Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Cyber Crime Unit, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.

Holden James Matthews, de 21 años, vecino de Opelousas, Luisiana, fue acusado hoy por un gran jurado federal, en una acusación formal sellada abierta hoy, por prender fuego y destrozar tres iglesias de la Parroquia de St. Landry, anunciaron Eric Dreiband, el Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia, y David C. Joseph, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Occidental de Luisiana.

Según la declaración formal de seis cargos, durante un período de diez días, Matthews prendió fuego intencionalmente a la Iglesia Bautista St. Mary en Port Barre, Luisiana, el 26 de marzo, a la Iglesia Bautista Greater Union en Opelousas, Luisiana, el 2 de abril, y a la Iglesia Bautista Mount Pleasant en Opelousas, Luisiana, el 4 de abril. La acusación formal alega que fue motivado a prender los fuegos por el carácter religioso de las propiedades. A Matthews se le acusa de tres cargos de daño intencional a propiedades religiosas, los cuales son cargos por delitos de odio bajo la ley de Prevención de Incendios Provocados en Iglesias, y de tres cargos de uso de incendio para la comisión de un delito grave.

«Las leyes federales protegen nuestra libertad de culto en un entorno seguro sin amenazas de discriminación o violencia», dijo el Fiscal General Auxiliar Eric Dreiband. «El Departamento de Justicia toma muy en serio toda presunta vulneración de derechos civiles federales y la enjuiciará».

«Los ataques contra un individuo o un grupo por motivos de sus creencias religiosas no se tolerarán en el Distrito Occidental de Luisiana», afirmó el Fiscal Federal David C. Joseph. «Las iglesias son un lugar esencial de culto y confraternización para nuestros ciudadanos y nos unen como comunidad. Hay que proteger celosamente nuestra libertad para reunirnos en estas iglesias de manera segura y practicar nuestras creencias religiosas. Hoy hemos tomado un paso más hacia la justicia para los feligreses de estas iglesias y las comunidades de la Parroquia de St. Landry que se vieron afectados por estos actos. Mi oficina seguiría trabajando diligentemente con nuestras agencias asociadas del orden público para investigar y enjuiciar cualquier tipo de delito de odio».

De ser condenado, Matthews se enfrenta a una encarcelación máxima de 20 años por cada cargo de daño intencional a una propiedad religiosa. Asimismo, Matthews se enfrenta a una pena mínima adicional de 10 años por el primer cargo de uso de fuego para cometer un delito grave y de 20 años por los demás cargos; estas penas se servirían consecutivamente. También se enfrenta a libertad supervisada de hasta tres años, una sanción de $250.000 e indemnizaciones por cada uno de los cargos.

La Agencia de Control de Bebidas Alcohólicas, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos (ATF, por sus siglas en inglés), el FBI, el Jefe de Bomberos del Estado de Luisiana, la Oficina del Sheriff de la Parroquia de St. Landry, la Fiscalía de Distrito para la Parroquia de St. Landry, la Policía Estatal de Luisiana, la Unidad de Delitos Cibernéticos del Fiscal General de Luisiana Jeff Landry y la Oficina del Jefe de Bomberos del Estado de Florida llevaron a cabo la investigación.

Los Fiscales Federales Auxiliares Dominic Rossetti y John Luke Walker, juntos con la Abogada de Litigios Risa Berkower, de la Sección Penal del Departamento de Justicia, División de Derechos Civiles, son responsables del enjuiciamiento del caso.

Para más información sobre el trabajo del Departamento de Justicia para combatir y prevenir los delitos de odio, vaya a www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: es un portal único con enlaces a recursos del Departamento de Justicia relacionados con delitos de odio para la policía, los medios de comunicación, investigadores, víctimas, grupos de apoyo, y otras organizaciones y personas.

Una acusación formal es sencillamente una acusación y al acusado se lo considera inocente mientras no se pruebe su culpabilidad más allá de cualquier duda razonable.

Download matthews_indictment_6_12_19.pdf

LAFAYETTE, La. – Holden James Matthews, 21, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was charged by a federal grand jury in an indictment unsealed today for setting fire to and destroying three churches in St. Landry Parish, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

According to the six-count indictment, in a span of 10 days, Matthews intentionally set fire to St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, Louisiana, on March 26, Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisian, on April 2, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas on April 4.  The indictment alleges that he was motivated to set the fires because of the religious character of these properties.  Matthews is charged with three counts of intentional damage to religious property, hate crime charges that fall under the Church Arson Prevention Act, and with three counts of using fire to commit a felony.

“Attacks against an individual or group because of their religious beliefs will not be tolerated in the Western District of Louisiana,” U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph stated.  “Churches are vital places of worship and fellowship for our citizens and bind us together as a community.  Our freedom to safely congregate in these churches and exercise our religious beliefs must be jealously guarded.  Today we are one step closer to justice for the parishioners of these churches and the St. Landry Parish communities affected by these acts.  My office will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute any type of hate crime.”

“Federal law protects our freedom to practice religion in a safe environment without the threat of discrimination or violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband.  “Any alleged violation of federal civil rights laws are taken extremely seriously by the Justice Department and will be prosecuted.”

If convicted, Matthews faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years per count of intentional damage to religious property.  Matthews faces an additional mandatory minimum of 10 years for the first count of using fire to commit a felony and 20 years for the subsequent counts, all to run consecutively.  He also faces up to three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution for each of the counts.

The ATF, FBI, Louisiana State Fire Marshal, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Landry Parish District Attorney’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Cybercrime Unit, and the Florida State Fire Marshal conducted the investigation. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic Rossetti and John Luke Walker, along with Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Justice Department’s Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division, are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals. 

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Holden James Matthews, 21, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was charged by a federal grand jury in an indictment unsealed today for setting fire to and destroying three churches in St. Landry Parish, announced Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana.

According to the six-count indictment, in a span of 10 days, Matthews intentionally set fire to St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, Louisiana, on March 26, Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisiana on April 2, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisiana on April 4. The indictment alleges that he was motivated to set the fires because of the religious character of these properties. Matthews is charged with three counts of intentional damage to religious property, hate crime charges that fall under the Church Arson Prevention Act, and with three counts of using fire to commit a felony.

“Federal law protects our freedom to practice religion in a safe environment without the threat of discrimination or violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “Any alleged violation of federal civil rights laws are taken extremely seriously by the Justice Department and will be prosecuted.”

“Attacks against an individual or group because of their religious beliefs will not be tolerated in the Western District of Louisiana,” U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph stated. “Churches are vital places of worship and fellowship for our citizens and bind us together as a community.  Our freedom to safely congregate in these churches and exercise our religious beliefs must be jealously guarded. Today we are one step closer to justice for the parishioners of these churches and the St. Landry Parish communities affected by these acts. My office will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute any type of hate crime.”

If convicted, Matthews faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years per count of intentional damage to religious property. Matthews faces an additional mandatory minimum of 10 years for the first count of using fire to commit a felony and 20 years for the subsequent counts, all to run consecutively. He also faces up to three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution for each of the counts.

The ATF, FBI, Louisiana State Fire Marshal, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Landry Parish District Attorney’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Cybercrime Unit, and the Florida State Fire Marshal conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic Rossetti and John Luke Walker, along with Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Justice Department’s Criminal Section, Civil Rights Division, are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Department of Justice’s work to combat and prevent hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes: a one-stop portal with links to Department of Justice hate crimes resources for law enforcement, media, researchers, victims, advocacy groups, and other organizations and individuals. 

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Johann Gary Barnes, 47, of Plain Dealing, Louisiana, was sentenced Monday to six and a half years in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

A Benton police officer pulled over Barnes’ pickup truck on January 29, 2018.  While the officer was speaking to Barnes and the passenger, he observed a small amount of marijuana in the center console of the pickup truck and a sawed-off shotgun at the foot of the driver’s seat.  The shotgun was an Ithaca, model: 37 Featherlite, 12-gauge shotgun loaded with four rounds in the magazine tube and one in the chamber.  Barnes pleaded guilty to the current federal charge on November 15, 2018.

Barnes was previously convicted on March 1, 2004 in Caddo Parish for possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I drug and was convicted on September 27, 2005 for possession of a firearm by a felon.  Under federal law, convicted felons are not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The ATF and the Benton Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Michael Holder, 41, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced Wednesday to 51 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Officers with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and West Monroe Police Department conducted a traffic stop on June 9, 2017 of Holder’s vehicle and discovered that Holder had an outstanding arrest warrant from the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office.  As Holder was exiting the vehicle, he stated to the officers that he was sitting on a BB gun, which turned out to be a Glock, Model 17, 9mm-caliber pistol, loaded with two bullets in the magazine.  The officers also found a glass smoking pipe with suspected methamphetamine in Holder’s back pocket.

Holder was convicted of aggravated flight from an officer on January 12, 2015 in Ouachita Parish.  Under federal law, convicted felons are prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.  Holder pleaded guilty to the federal charges on January 17, 2019.

The ATF, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, and West Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Robert E. Robinson, 45, of Monroe, pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. 

According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents with the Monroe Metro Narcotics Unit obtained a search warrant for Robinson’s residence following two undercover buys of marijuana from him.  The search yielded more than 7 kilograms of marijuana as well as marijuana butter, marijuana cookies, digital scales, and a marijuana grinder.  Officer also found three loaded firearms, to include a Rock Island Armory revolver, loaded with six rounds of ammunition, an Anderson pistol, loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, and a Smith & Wesson pistol, loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition.  More than 500 rounds of various caliber ammunition were recovered from the residence.

Robinson faces up to five years in prison for the drug offense and at least five years in prison for the firearm offense.  He also faces up to a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release.  Doughty set Robinson’s sentencing for September 4, 2019. 

The ATF and the Monroe Metro Narcotics Unit conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan is prosecuting the case. 

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Gary Lynn Ward, 51, of St. Charles, Missouri, was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge Terry Doughty to serve 18 months in prison.  Ward pleaded guilty on March 6, 2019, to an indictment charging him with failure to surrender for service of sentence.  The 18-month sentence will run consecutive to the previous 46-month prison sentence he received on June 29, 2015, resulting in a total of 64 months in prison.

Ward, who is a former resident of Ouachita Parish, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, on March 9, 2015, to conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, and was sentenced on June 29, 2015, to 46 months in prison.  He was required to self-surrender on August 3, 2015, but Ward filed a motion on July 23, 2015, to extend his reporting date, which was granted.  His self-surrender date was then set for September 14, 2015.

Ward’s spouse contacted the U.S. Marshals Service in Shreveport on the day of his surrender to inform them that they were traveling by car to St. Louis, Missouri, so Ward could report to U.S. Marshals Service there.  While at a gas station, Ward stated that he was “not going back to jail,” forced his wife out of the car and sped away.  He never reported to the U.S. Marshals Service in St. Louis or his designated Bureau of Prisons facility at FCI Forrest City Low, in Forrest City, Arkansas.  Law enforcement agents arrested Ward on January 7, 2017, in the St. Louis, Missouri, area for failing to report to prison.

The U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a 49-year old Mexican National, who was formerly on ICE’s Most Wanted list, has been sentenced to serve time in federal prison for immigration violations.

Jose Melchor Martinez, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, pleaded guilty on January 30, 2019, to illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. Chief District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. 

At the time of Martinez’s arrest near Church Point, Louisiana, on October 12, 2018, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement considered Martinez one of its most wanted fugitives.  He was removed from the United States on September 6, 2003 via the Hidalgo, Texas, port of entry following a 2002 conviction in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, for indecent liberties with a child.  After serving time for the conviction, he was removed from the United States but later returned on an unknown date.  Martinez faces deportation upon finishing his prison term.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Removal, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a 25-year old Mexican national living in the Monroe, Louisiana, area has been sentenced to prison for federal immigration violations.

Eliezer Merino-Tetlactle pleaded guilty on March 6, 2019 to illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty.

According to information presented in court, West Monroe police arrested Merino-Tetlactle on August 23, 2018 for carnal knowledge of a juvenile, computer aided solicitation of a minor, possession of marijuana and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.  His background check showed that he had been previously removed twice from the United States at the port of entry in Laredo, Texas on July 29, 2012 and September 12, 2012.  He later re-entered the United States on an unknown date.

United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and the West Monroe Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – A former captain at the Richwood Correctional Center was sentenced today for his role in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates. Roderick Douglas, 38, of Monroe, Louisiana, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with five other corrections officers to violate the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. According to the defendant’s plea agreement and admission in court, Douglas and other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Following that abuse, the officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Douglas was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana. United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division made the announcement.

“Correctional officers deserve our respect for the jobs they do, but we must also hold them accountable when they willfully break the law and cover up the abuse of inmates,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “The defendant in this case ignored his role as a caretaker for prisoners and violated the rights of those he was sworn to protect. My office is committed to upholding the laws of our land and the rights of all.”

 “This blatant abuse of power will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Civil Rights Division to vigorously prosecute those who inflict cruel and unusual punishment against inmates under their care.” 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, prosecuted the case. The Monroe Division of the FBI investigated the case.

A former captain at the Richwood Correctional Center was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Monroe, Louisiana, for his role in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates. Roderick Douglas, 38, of Monroe, Louisiana, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with five other corrections officers to violate the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. According to the defendant’s plea agreement and admission in court, Douglas and other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Following that abuse, the officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Douglas was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph made the announcement.

“This blatant abuse of power will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Civil Rights Division to vigorously prosecute those who inflict cruel and unusual punishment against inmates under their care.”  

“Correctional officers deserve our respect for the jobs they do, but we must also hold them accountable when they willfully break the law and cover up the abuse of inmates,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “The defendant in this case ignored his role as a caretaker for prisoners and violated the rights of those he was sworn to protect. My office is committed to upholding the laws of our land and the rights of all.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, prosecuted the case. The Monroe Division of the FBI investigated the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Marcell Deangelo Lewis, 24, of Shreveport, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby on Monday and pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.

According to the guilty plea, on March 19, 2018, a Shreveport Police officer conducted a traffic stop on Lewis’ vehicle on Interstate 49 near Hollywood street for a speeding violation. After making contact with Lewis, the officer immediately smelled marijuana and conducted a search of the vehicle.  The officer found a Colt, Model: Trooper MKIII, .357-caliber revolver loaded with six rounds in the center console and a Glock, Model: 23, .40-caliber pistol loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition on the passenger floorboard.  Lewis claimed ownership of both firearms.

Lewis was convicted on December 12, 2018 in Caddo Parish District Court for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  Under federal law, a felon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Lewis faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing for Marcell Lewis is scheduled for September 12, 2019.

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a federal jury convicted George Earl White Jr., 36, of Alexandria, for his role in distributing illegal narcotics in Rapides Parish.

After a three-day trial, presided over by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell, White was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.  Testimony presented during his trial showed that White conspired with Derrick Anthony Felton, 40, of Alexandria, Reginald Felton Jr., 27, of Colfax, Louisiana, and Darian Dewayne Napoleon, 35, of Colfax, to sell methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in the central Louisiana area.  Law enforcement agents found that Derrick Felton would travel to California to obtain large quantities of methamphetamine and then ship the methamphetamine back to Louisiana.

During the course of the investigation, Louisiana State Police seized approximately 33 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of heroin, 1 kilogram of powdered cocaine and 4 pints of promethazine cough syrup.  Law enforcement agents learned that Derrick Felton intended to distribute the drugs to White and the other members of the conspiracy in order for them to then sell to users.

“The evidence was strong in this case and pointed the jury to a guilty verdict,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.  “This defendant and his co-conspirators were spreading dangerous drugs throughout Central Louisiana.  I hope this conviction sends the clear message that we will not tolerate those who seek profit in the misery and death caused by the drug trade.  My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt criminal organizations that threaten our communities.  I want to thank the prosecutors in my office for a job well done and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Louisiana State police for their hard work investigating this case.”

White’s co-conspirators all pleaded guilty to the distribution charge.  Darian Napoleon pleaded guilty on February 25, 2019, Reginald Felton pleaded guilty on February 26, 2019, and Derrick Felton pleaded guilty on March 8, 2019.  The defendants face 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine.  The court set White’s sentencing date for September 5, 2019. Derick Felton is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2019.  Reginald Felton and Darian Napoleon’s sentencing dates are not set.

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that John K. Morrow, 48, of Lafayette, was sentenced Friday to seven and a half years in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert Sumerhays for stealing more than $2 million from investors. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay $2,066,923 restitution.

Morrow was the owner of a Louisiana company called UVC Technologies LLC, which was formed in 2011.  UVC Technologies represented itself as providing green, chemical free disinfection machines utilizing ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to meet the needs of various medical communities. From 2011 to 2016, Morrow solicited individuals to invest money in the company. He used false statements and misrepresentations indicating that the funds would only be used for business expenses and distribution of additional disinfection machines. He promised large sums of money in a short time period for their investments. When the investors complained about not being paid back and for the purpose of soliciting funds from them, Morrow falsely claimed that the business had been sold for millions and that their money would be paid back from the proceeds of the sale.  Morrow also told investors that he would use funds for business expenses, but he spent their funds on personal living and travel expenses. Morrow defrauded the investors out of more than $2 million during the course of the scheme. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges on January 14, 2019.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly P. Uebinger and Daniel J. Vermaelen prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Myrna Thomas Quarles, 58, of Cotton Valley, Louisiana, was indicted by a federal grand jury for taking more than $1 million from a federal feeding program meant for low-income children.

Quarles was charged with five counts of theft of government property, five counts of forged securities of the states and private entities, and 27 counts of money laundering.

According to the indictment, Quarles was the director of the Greater Horizons Developmental Services, a nonprofit headquartered in Webster Parish. Greater Horizons received reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Feeding Service Program (SFSP), which was administered through the state of Louisiana. From 2014 through 2015, Greater Horizons submitted more than $1 million in reimbursement claims that greatly inflated the number of eligible meals provided. Once Greater Horizons received the money, Quarles wrote checks that were purportedly payable to vendors and other third parties, but then deposited that money into a personal financial account.

If convicted, Quarles faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for each count of theft and forgery, and 20 years in prison for each count of money laundering. She also faces up to five years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine and restitution. The government is also seeking to seize real estate and equipment purchased with the SFSP funds.

The FBI, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and State of Louisiana, Office of State Inspector General, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Morris & Dickson Company LLC has agreed to pay the United States $22 million in civil penalties to resolve claims that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by failing to report suspicious orders of hydrocodone and oxycodone. 

“The fight against opioid abuse is among our nation’s most pressing law enforcement and public health initiatives,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.  “Opioids are now the leading cause of accidental death in the United States – killing approximately 130 Americans every day.  About 40 percent of these deaths involve prescription drug abuse.  This settlement demonstrates the Justice Department’s continued commitment to use all of the tools at its disposal to stem the opioid epidemic.  Louisiana citizens should know that my office and our local DEA agents will continue to investigate and aggressively prosecute any manufacturer, distributor, pharmacy, or doctor who, whether negligently or intentionally, fail in their duty to appropriately control the distribution and use of these deadly drugs.”

In addition to paying $22 million in settlement funds, Morris & Dickson also agreed during the course of the negotiations to make significant upgrades to its compliance program by investing millions of dollars to hire additional staff and implement new protocols and standards to ensure compliance with federal regulations requiring them to report suspicious orders of controlled substances.              

This settlement arises from a Drug Enforcement Administration Office of Diversion Control investigation into Morris & Dickson’s failure to report suspicious orders of hydrocodone and oxycodone.  Since January 2014, DEA Diversion agents have identified more than 12,000 allegedly suspicious retail pharmacy orders that should have been reported.  Under the Controlled Substances Act and its implementing regulations, distributors are required to report suspicious orders to the DEA.  Reporting suspicious orders and maintaining effective controls against diversion of controlled substances are critical components of the government’s effort to stop the illegal distribution and sale of opioids.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said, "The failure to report suspicious orders as required by federal regulations contributes to the opioid epidemic, which has caused devastating harm to individuals and our communities.  The settlement with Morris & Dickson demonstrates the resolve by DEA to use all available tools to address this crisis at every level and reduce the availability of highly addictive, dangerous drugs."

Morris & Dickson is the largest privately owned wholesale pharmaceutical distributor in the United States and the fourth largest wholesale distributor in the country, reporting total revenues of over $4 billion in its fiscal year ending January 31, 2018.  Since January 2014, Morris & Dickson distributed controlled substances to approximately 800 retail pharmacies across 17 states, distributing over 600,000,000 dosage units.  Morris & Dickson services hospitals, alternative and other health care providers, and retail pharmacies out of its Shreveport, Louisiana facility.  

Mr. Joseph thanked the diversion investigators of DEA’s Office of Diversion Control - New Orleans Division for their work in this matter.  Mr. Joseph was assisted in handling this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Theriot and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Brown.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) estimates that more than 630,000 Americans died from drug overdoses from 1999 to 2016.  In 2016 alone, approximately 42,000 people died of opioid-related causes.  The number of opioid-overdose deaths has reached epidemic proportions:  in 2016 there were five times as many such deaths as there were in 1999. 

For information about the harmful effects of illicit drug use, visit www.JustThinkTwice.com for teens and www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com for parents, educators, and caregivers.  To report suspected opioid-related crimes, the public is encouraged to contact the DEA at https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/tips_online.htm.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Mark Anthony Crawford, 27, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to possessing a pistol loaded with 31 bullets. 

According to the guilty plea, Shreveport police learned through a Crime Stoppers tip that Crawford was at a residence on Algonquin Trail, armed with several weapons and in possession of narcotics.  After arriving at the residence, the officers found a Romarm/Cugir Mini Draco 7.62 caliber pistol under a bed loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition.  Crawford admitted to police officers that he had purchased the firearm off the streets, and knew that as a convicted felon, he was restricted from possessing a firearm.  Crawford pleaded guilty to aggravated flight from an officer on November 8, 2010.  Under federal law, felons are not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.

Crawford faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  Judge Hicks set the sentencing date for August 29, 2019. 

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case. 

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Jarius T. Carson, 26, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays for illegally possessing a loaded semi-automatic pistol.

According to the guilty plea, a Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputy encountered Carson on June 6, 2018 in the parking lot of a Scott, Louisiana, apartment complex.  When the deputy approached, Carson fled.  While in pursuit, the deputy saw Carson run towards a vehicle and place an object in the vehicle’s wheel well.  The deputy caught up with Carson and arrested him.  Carson acknowledged that the loaded Cobra .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol found in the wheel well of the car belonged to him.

Carson was previously convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm and illegal carrying of a firearm in state court on August 17, 2010.  Under federal law, a felon is not allowed to possess firearms and ammunition.

Carson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Summerhays set the sentencing date for August 23, 2019.

The ATF and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danny Siefker and Dominic Rossetti are prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for reductions in crime.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local and tribal police officers during National Police Week, which is being observed this week, Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18, 2019.  Today is National Peace Officers Memorial Day.

In October 1962, Congress enacted a joint resolution, which the President signed, declaring May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.  The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice. 

“Police Week is an opportunity for us to honor the men and women in blue, both here in Louisiana and across our great nation - recognizing their dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “I want to acknowledge the difficult, often dangerous work performed by our police officers and ask that we all take a moment to think about the brave men and women of law enforcement who have lost their lives in the line of duty.  Families of our fallen officers should know that they have our unwavering support and appreciation.”

This year, the names of 371 U.S. law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were engraved on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, and were formally dedicated during the 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2019.  These names included 158 officers who were killed in 2018, and 213 officers who died in earlier years but whose stories of sacrifice had not been previously documented.  The Candlelight Vigil is one of many commemorative events taking place in the nation’s capital and across the United States during National Police Week 2019 honoring the memory of law enforcement officers.

The Western District of Louisiana had two line-of-duty deaths in 2018.  The officers whose names were added to the Memorial this year are:  

• Monroe Police Department Officer Ayrian M. Williams, who passed away on May 21, 2018, in a vehicle crash while responding to a call to assist a fellow Monroe police officer.  Her name can be located on the Memorial Panel at 45-W: 31. 

• Montgomery Police Department Assistant Police Chief Kirt R. Ricks III, who passed away on September 7, 2018, in an automobile crash during the pursuit of a speeding motorist.  His name can be located on the Memorial Panel at 27-E: 31.
   

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial - the nation’s monument to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty - is located on E Street between 4th and 5th Streets NW.  Two marble walls display the names of more than 21,000 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first known death in 1791.  New names of fallen officers are added to the monument each spring, in conjunction with National Police Week.  The Memorial is open 24-hours, admission is free, and guided tours are available by appointment. 

As a part of honoring law enforcement this week, U.S. Attorney Joseph will speak at the annual Police Memorial service, hosted by the Lafayette Police Department on Thursday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church.  A motorcade will begin at 5:30 p.m. starting from the Lafayette Police Department main station located at 900 E. University Ave. and proceed to the church.

 Other events taking place throughout the District included:

The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police Department and other Central Louisiana law enforcement agencies honored fallen officers at a memorial ceremony on the morning of May 14 at the Rapides Parish Courthouse.  The Alexandria Police Department also has motorcycle officers in Washington, D.C., for Police Week escorting family members of fallen officers for events this week.

The Bossier City Police Department hosted a Peace Officers Memorial Ceremony today at 11:00 a.m. today the lobby of the Bossier Civic Center on 620 Benton Road. The ceremony honors fallen officers of the Bossier City Police Department, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police Troop G and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

The Monroe Police Department held a wreath laying ceremony today from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 700 Wood Street, honoring one of their fallen officers, Officer Ayrian Williams. Brandon B. Brown, an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Western District of Louisiana, was the guest speaker. 

For more information about other National Police Week events and fallen officers, please visit www.policeweek.org or www.nleomf.org.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Daryon D. Kelley, 23, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 68 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty for possessing a pistol and ammunition.  He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.

On October 2, 2017, West Monroe police conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Kelley was driving.  During a search of the vehicle, police officers found a Ruger .9 mm-caliber pistol and ammunition, $10,400 and a partially smoked marijuana cigar in the center console.  Daryon Kelley was previously convicted on April 9, 2015 for a drug distribution charge. A federal jury found Kelley guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a three-day trial that ended January 30, 2019. 

The ATF and the West Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Two former corrections officers at the Richwood Correctional Center were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Monroe, Louisiana, for their roles in a conspiracy to cover up the abuse of inmates by officers. The defendants -- Demario Shaffer, 34, of Delhi, Louisiana, and David Parker, 28, of Tallulah, Louisiana, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify documents with the intent to obstruct and influence the investigation of a matter within federal jurisdiction. According to the defendants’ plea agreements and admissions in court, Shaffer, Parker, and other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Following that abuse, the officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Shaffer, who was a sergeant at the time, was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison, and Parker, a nonsupervisory officer, was sentenced to serve 21 months. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph made the announcement.

“Conspiring to cover up physical assault against an inmate is in blatant violation of federal law and the Department of Justice will hold violators accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to enforce the laws that prohibit this type of misconduct.”

“Abuse of prisoners is illegal and tarnishes the reputation of those correctional officers who work hard every day to perform their duties with distinction and professionalism,” U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph stated. “To maintain the fairness and integrity of the American justice system, my office will hold accountable anyone who violates the civil rights of inmates or conspires to cover up the abuse of inmates under their custody.”

Two other officers, Roderick Douglas and Christopher Loring have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty on June 5 and July 3.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, prosecuted the case. The Monroe Division of the FBI investigated the case.

MONROE, La. – Two former corrections officers at the Richwood Correctional Center were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Monroe, Louisiana, for their roles in a conspiracy to cover up the abuse of inmates by officers.  The defendants -- Demario Shaffer, 34, of Delhi, Louisiana, and David Parker, 28, of Tallulah, Louisiana, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify documents with the intent to obstruct and influence the investigation of a matter within federal jurisdiction.  According to the defendants’ plea agreements and admissions in court, Shaffer, Parker, and other officers sprayed a chemical agent directly in the faces and eyes of five inmates while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone.  Following that abuse, the officers conspired to hide their conduct by submitting false reports. 

Shaffer, who was a sergeant at the time, was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison, and Parker, a nonsupervisory officer, was sentenced to serve 21 months.  U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph and Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division made the announcement.

“Abuse of prisoners is illegal and tarnishes the reputation of those correctional officers who work hard every day to perform their duties with distinction and professionalism,” Joseph stated.  “To maintain the fairness and integrity of the American justice system, my office will hold accountable anyone who violates the civil rights of inmates or conspires to cover up the abuse of inmates under their custody.”

 “Conspiring to cover up physical assault against an inmate is in blatant violation of federal law and the Department of Justice will hold violators accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will continue to enforce the laws that prohibit this type of misconduct.”

Two other officers, Roderick Douglas and Christopher Loring have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty on June 5 and July 3.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, prosecuted the case. The Monroe Division of the FBI investigated the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Jeffrey Dale Clark Jr., 36, of Boyce, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell for possessing a revolver.

During a parolee visit with Clark at his home on May 29, 2018, Louisiana State Probation and Parole officers found that Clark was in possession of a ROHM, Model RG10, .22-caliber revolver. Upon their arrival, Clark was in the yard and he began walking in the opposite direction.  When the officers asked him to turn around, they observed him patting his pockets and asked if he had a weapon, at which time he produced a knife.  The officers then searched Clark and found the ROHM, Model RG10, .22-caliber revolver in the waistband of his pants.

Clark is convicted felon of various crimes including simple burglary in 2002, theft in 2002, forgery in 2003, and possession of methamphetamine in 2013, all in Beauregard Parish.  Under federal law, a felon is not allowed to possess firearms and ammunition.

Clark faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  The court set the sentencing date for August 20, 2019.

The ATF and Louisiana State Probation and Parole conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for reductions in crime.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Aaron Troquille, 32, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to possessing .40-caliber ammunition. 

According to the guilty plea, Shreveport Police responded to a 911 domestic abuse call on April 18, 2018 at Troquille’s residence on Amie Street.  After speaking with the victim, police officers arrested Troquille and learned from him during questioning that Troquille had .40-caliber ammunition in the house.  The officers conducted a search of the house and recovered the ammunition.

Troquille is a convicted felon who pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana on May 18, 2011 in Caddo Parish. Under federal law, felons are not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.

Troquille faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  Judge Foote set the sentencing date for August 26, 2019. 

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.