Middle District of Louisiana

The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime has awarded $1,000,000 to Louisiana Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General.

United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, Kurt Wall, stated, “Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Office has been a leader in investigating and prosecuting cybercrimes in our state. We are pleased to see that this award will be used to assist the victims of those heinous criminal acts.”

These funds will assist in the implementation of a statewide effort to identify, serve, and empower victims of technology-facilitated abuse, including image-based sexual abuse, non-consensual dissemination of intimate images, and sextortion. The initiative will establish Louisiana’s first statewide multidisciplinary response protocol and create standardized victim-rights and resource materials for distribution by law enforcement agencies statewide.  Additionally, the monies will expand access to services, with the goal of improving outcomes for victims of technology-facilitated abuse.

“I want to thank the Department of Justice for this important initiative. These funds will help establish Louisiana’s very first statewide multidisciplinary protocol to serve victims of technology-facilitated abuse (TFA). The protocol will directly address rapidly evolving digital crimes, including - sextortion, cyberstalking, and AI-generated intimate images. Initiatives like these strengthen real-time collaboration among prosecutors, law enforcement, and victim services,” stated Attorney General Liz Murrill.

For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov.

Malik Strodder, age 25, of Flint, Michigan, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, and Dondrell Smith, age 25, of Mount Morris, Michigan, was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud Walmart using fraudulent cash cards to obtain merchandise which they then subsequently returned for cash. U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced both to serve three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment. Strodder was ordered to pay $180,676.53, and Smith was ordered to pay $167,802.52 in restitution.

According to court records, Strodder and Smith executed a nationwide scheme targeting Walmart stores. Using fraudulent “cash cards,” they attempted to purchase high-value items knowing the cards would decline. They then falsely claimed to be former Walmart employees and instructed cashiers to enter manual codes to process the transactions as cash payments - allowing them to get the items for free. They then used the resulting receipts to return the stolen merchandise for cash refunds at other Walmart locations. The scheme spanned more than 101 Walmart locations in more than 15 states, with an intended loss of over $340,000.

The scheme included fraudulent activity in which Strodder and Smith conducted seven fraudulent transactions at Walmart in Gonzales, Louisiana, stealing more than $6,500 in merchandise and returning the items for cash the next day at Walmart stores in and around Broussard, Louisiana. 

At sentencing, Strodder admitted that he spent the proceeds on luxury clothing and vehicles, which he later wrecked and totaled.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Gonzales Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Richard and Jessica M.P. Thornhill, who also serves as a Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division.

U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced the last of four defendants in a multi-state conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle, altering, removing and obliterating a vehicle identification number, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices and conspiracy to sell a firearm to a conviction felon.

Dennis Lloyd Sizemore, age 55, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and Robert Gregory Brazell, age 41, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. The Court further sentenced both men to serve three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment and ordered Sizemore to pay $92,500 in restitution and Brazell to pay $95,000 in restitution. 

In imposing the sentences, the Court found that Sizemore, Brazell and their co-defendants, Chrisopher Don Byerley and Adrienne King, carried out a coordinated and complex operation extending across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, in which the group stole, then used or sold the stolen and altered vehicles, including tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck, with a total value of over $250,000.

The conspiracy involved tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), the use of a chop shop, fraudulent documentation, false business fronts and stolen identities to sell stolen equipment and further conceal their criminal activities

An investigation of a shoplifting incident in the Juban Crossing Shopping Center led Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives to uncover an unregistered firearm silencer and 9mm pistol from a stolen pickup truck being operated by Byerley and King. Additional other documents, emails, text messages and photos led law enforcement to uncover the conspiracy and far-reaching criminal enterprise.  

Byerley was recently sentenced to 115 months in federal prison following his convictions in this conspiracy and for firearm violations. King was sentenced to 48 months.  

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Saint Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Saint Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberia Sheriff’s Department, and Lafayette Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and M. Patricia Jones led the prosecution.

Six individuals were sentenced by Judge Brian A. Jackson for various charges, including firearm and drug trafficking offenses resulting from an investigation into a drug trafficking organization based out of Ascension Parish.

According to admissions made during their pleas, the defendants engaged in an extensive drug trafficking conspiracy where cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and heroin was distributed in the Middle District of Louisiana.  Agents seized several hundred grams of substances containing fentanyl and cocaine, along with multiple firearms.

 Leroy Miles, age 47, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Miles was further sentenced to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms and ammunition involved be forfeited.

James Miles, age 49, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 158 months in prison, and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Joseph Brown, age 39, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 92 months in prison, and four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of heroin and fentanyl.

Marishell Ealem, age 40, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 80 months in prison, and 3 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of heroin and fentanyl.

Corey Powe, age 57, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Powe was further sentenced to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited.

Destiny Renee McBride, age 35, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baton Rouge Police Department, Iberville Sheriff’s Office, Gonzales Police Department, and Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, with critical assistance from Homeland Security and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson led the prosecution.

“Every law enforcement agency throughout the Middle District is committed to eliminating these drug trafficking organizations,” Wall said. “The teamwork involved in this investigation is further proof that our Homeland Security Task Force is working.”

“Armed drug trafficking poses an immediate, dangerous threat to public safety,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Keith Bakewell. “By leveraging the full strength of the Homeland Security Task Force and our local law enforcement partners, we systemically dismantled a Donaldsonville drug organization, stripping them of illegally possessed rifles, handguns, and lethal doses of fentanyl.”

These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSl), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), Us. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Coast Guard, Investigative Service (CGlS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Us. Border Patrol (CBP BP) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for Middle District of Louisiana.

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, has awarded a combined $20,036,461 to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (“LCLE”) to provide resources to Louisiana agencies to specifically assist victims of crimes, said U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.  

$17,419,461 will provide subgrants to local community-based organizations and public agencies that provide services directly to crime victims, such as crisis counseling, telephone and onsite information and referrals, criminal justice support and advocacy, shelter, therapy, and additional assistance. 

$2,617,000 will provide funds from the Crime Victims Fund to enhance State Victim Compensation payments to eligible federal and state crime victims.

LCLE is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.

For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov.

Romney Manuel, age 52, of Prairieville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and Demietriek Scott, age 50, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to 29 months in federal prison following their convictions for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Manuel to serve two years of supervised release, and Scott to serve three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment. Each is ordered to pay $74,250 in restitution. 

According to admissions made during their pleas, Manuel and Scott conspired with each other to devise a scheme to obtain federal grant money from the Louisiana Department of Education. During the conspiracy, Manuel and Scott made a non-existent childcare provider appear operational and manipulated spreadsheets and data systems utilized by the Louisiana Department of Education in order to steal $74,250 in federal funds. 

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson led the prosecution.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The Middle District of Louisiana announced multiple charges and guilty pleas as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG) targeting fraud on the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).    

From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.   

U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall stated, “Millions of taxpayer dollars have been wrongfully obtained through fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Our office is committed to finding those who have scammed the system, and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent possible.”

In the Middle District of Louisiana, seventeen (17) defendants have been prosecuted as part of this takedown for PPP-related fraud involving approximately $5 million in alleged intended or actual losses. 

Charges Announced

Jovan Renee Darbonne:  Jovan Renee Darbonne, age 47, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged on August 31, 2026, in a Bill of Information with one count of making false statements to a financial institution and has indicated her intent to waive indictment and plead guilty. According to the charging document, Darbonne allegedly submitted fictitious 2020 IRS Form 941s on behalf of LA Educational Fund, LLC to a bank in support of a Paycheck Protection Program loan application, despite knowing the forms were fraudulent and had never been filed with the IRS.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Vick is prosecuting the case.

Brelle Ford and Rydell Banks, Jr.:  Brelle Ford, age 34, of Geismar, Louisiana, and Rydell Banks, Jr., age 28, of Geismar, Louisiana, were indicted on August 26, 2026, on charges arising from an alleged multi-year scheme to fraudulently obtain federal emergency relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and FEMA disaster assistance. According to the indictment, Ford and Banks allegedly conspired to submit false applications and supporting documents for pandemic and Hurricane Ida relief, including fraudulent PPP and EIDL applications in the names of multiple businesses, fictitious leases and receipts, and FEMA claims falsely asserting property damage. The indictment further alleges that the defendants used interstate wires to obtain FEMA deposits and made false statements to federally insured financial institutions in connection with second‑draw PPP loan applications. Ford is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and making a false statement to a bank, while Banks is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud, and making a false statement to a bank.  Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth E. White is prosecuting the case.

Michelle Jackson and Ryachenelle L. Morris:  Michelle W. Jackson, age 52, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, and Ryachanelle L. Morris, age 29, of Vacherie, Louisiana, were indicted on August 12, 2026, for their alleged roles in a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID‑19 pandemic relief and unemployment insurance benefits. According to the indictment, Jackson and Morris purportedly conspired with others to submit false PPP, EIDL, and unemployment applications using fabricated tax records, falsified payroll information, and misrepresentations about employment history and business operations, enabling them to gain or attempt to gain control of more than $289,000 in federal relief funds. Jackson is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud, and Morris is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The indictment further alleges that Jackson used interstate wires to deposit PPP funds into bank accounts she controlled and that both defendants used the fraudulently obtained funds for personal expenses, including food, shopping, travel, and vehicle rentals.  Assistant United States Attorney John B. Casey is prosecuting the case.

Cedrick Kelly:  Cedrick Kelly, age 45, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, was indicted on August 12, 2026, on one count of wire fraud for allegedly obtaining a $20,833 Paycheck Protection Program loan through a fraudulent application submitted in April 2021. According to the indictment, Kelly purportedly falsely overstated his business income and provided a fictitious 2019 Schedule C tax form to support his claim, despite knowing the information was untrue. Based on these misrepresentations, an SBA‑approved lender wired the PPP loan proceeds to Kelly’s bank account in the Middle District of Louisiana, funds that he was not entitled to receive.  Assistant United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis, who also serves as District Fraud Counsel, is prosecuting the case.

Elton R. Kelly:  Elton R. Kelly, age 46, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was indicted on August 12, 2026, on one count of wire fraud for allegedly submitting a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application in May 2021. According to the indictment, Kelly purportedly overstated his business income, misrepresented his criminal history, and submitted a fictitious 2019 Schedule C tax form falsely claiming more than $99,000 in gross receipts. Based on these misrepresentations, an SBA‑approved lender wired $20,732 in PPP funds to Kelly’s bank account in the Middle District of Louisiana, money he was not entitled to receive.  Assistant United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis, who also serves as District Fraud Counsel, is prosecuting the case.

Chris Plant, Jr.:  On June 17, 2026, Chris Plant, Jr., age 39, of White Castle, Louisiana, a local preacher, was indicted for wire fraud and for making a false statement to a bank. As set forth in the indictment, Plant allegedly devised a scheme to defraud a financial institution by filing false and fraudulent applications for PPP funds.  In furtherance of the scheme, Plant allegedly submitted fraudulent and misleading documents, including fictitious 2019 and 2020 Schedule C tax forms, which falsely represented Plant’s gross receipts, expenses, and net profits for applicant businesses.  Based on Plant’s purportedly false representations and fraudulent supporting materials, the financial institution approved and funded four PPP loans for a total amount of $77,081.  Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth E. White is prosecuting the case.

Marvin Richardson:  Marvin Richardson, age 29, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was indicted on August 20, 2026, on two counts of wire fraud for allegedly obtaining more than $28,000 in fraudulent pandemic‑relief funds through the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). According to the indictment, Richardson submitted multiple false applications between July 2020 and May 2021, falsely overstating business revenues, employee counts, and income, and providing fabricated tax documents to support his claims. Based on these misrepresentations, Richardson received an $8,000 EIDL advance and a $20,832 PPP loan, which were transmitted to his bank account in the Middle District of Louisiana.  Assistant United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis, who also serves as the District Fraud Counsel, is prosecuting the case.

Guilty Pleas and Sentences Announced

Keerria Anderson:  On August 6, 2026, U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Keerria Anderson, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to two years of supervised release after Anderson pled guilty to wire fraud.  Anderson worked for the U.S. Postal Service between March 2016 and at least October 2022. Between July 2020 and at least October 2021, Anderson devised a scheme to defraud the United States, through the SBA and two financial institutions, by submitting applications for an EIDL and two PPP loans that contained false representations and documentation regarding her purported businesses and gross revenues and income.  As part of her sentence, Judge Jackson also ordered Anderson to pay $50,962.00 as restitution to the SBA.  Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Thornhill prosecuted the case.

Lashae M. Bell and Johntrell Jamar White:  On July 9 and July 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Lashae M. Bell, age 33, of Gonzales, Louisiana, and Johntrell Jamar White, age 32, of Simmesport, Louisiana, to 30 months and 27 months in federal prison, respectively, after each pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their roles in a scheme to defraud multiple COVID‑19 pandemic relief programs. Bell and White submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance applications in their own names and in the names of others to numerous state workforce agencies and to Puerto Rico, and Bell also obtained Paycheck Protection Program funds through false statements. Judge Jackson ordered Bell to pay $851,241 in restitution and imposed a forfeiture money judgment of $164,891. The court also ordered White to pay $830,409 in restitution with a forfeiture money judgment of $135,300. According to their plea agreements, the defendants’ fraudulent claims caused state workforce agencies and the SBA to disburse hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal pandemic relief funds to which they were not entitled.  Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth E. White prosecuted the case.

Daysha Blount:  Daysha Renee Blount, age 34, of Gonzales, Louisiana, pled guilty on August 13, 2026, to one count of wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining more than $83,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loan proceeds. According to court documents, Blount submitted four PPP loan applications in 2021—three in her own name and one on behalf of a company—using fabricated tax forms and altered bank records to falsely claim significant business income. She later submitted forgiveness applications containing additional false statements, resulting in all four loans being forgiven. Blount is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson.  Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Vick is prosecuting the case.

Makyro Ferguson, Maletica Ferguson, and Vanshion Byrd:  Maletica V. Ferguson, age 49; Vanshion J. Byrd, age 51; and Makyro V. Ferguson, age 26, all of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud following their February 11, 2026 indictment for participating in a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, and unemployment insurance programs. According to court documents, the defendants and their co‑conspirators submitted numerous false applications supported by fabricated tax forms, altered bank records, and other fraudulent information, causing the disbursement of significant federal relief funds to which they were not entitled. Maletica Ferguson and Vanshion Byrd entered their guilty pleas on July 7, 2026, and Makyro Ferguson pled guilty on July 21, 2026. All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson on December 3, 2026.  Assistant United States Attorney John B. Casey is prosecuting the case.

Lonell Taylor:  Lonell Taylor, 32, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 30, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to five months in federal prison and ordered to pay $126,985.16 in restitution after pleading guilty to wire fraud and fraud to obtain federal employees’ compensation.  According to her plea agreement, Taylor was an employee of the U.S. Postal Service who falsely claimed for years that she had no outside income while receiving workers’ compensation benefits, despite actively operating two businesses and earning income. Taylor also devised a scheme to obtain pandemic-related Paycheck Protection Program funds by submitting multiple fraudulent loan applications supported by fabricated tax documents, ultimately receiving more than $40,000 in SBA-backed PPP loans that she used for personal expenses.  Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Thornhill prosecuted the case.

U.S. Attorney Wall praised the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Secret Service; and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, for their investigations in these matters. 

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Maurilio Lazcano-Vargas, age 40, of Mexico, who is present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Edyn Efrain-Arevalo, age 53, of Guatemala, and Zabdi Guzman-Diaz, age 41, of Mexico, who are also present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. 

According to admissions made as part of their pleas, since at least August 2024, Lazcano-Vargas operated a prostitution scheme that prostituted women, many of whom were illegal aliens in the United States, in various locations in Louisiana. He operated the prostitution venture with his co-defendants, Efrain-Arevalo and Guzman-Diaz, and would ensure that the women that he prostituted would perform commercial sex acts and provide him or others with the money that they earned from such acts.

Specifically, beginning in and after October 2025, Lazcano-Vargas placed online ads through social media mobile and computer applications for commercial sex acts featuring women in the Middle District of Louisiana. He along with others, rented apartments in the Baton Rouge, Kenner, and New Orleans areas so that women could engage in these acts.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, Lazcano-Vargas and others would take the money that the women made, tell the women the prices they were to charge and the amount of time that corresponded with the prices along with any rules for acts that were an extra charge, and communicate directly with other participants in the sex trafficking at the end of the night. Lazcano-Vargas and others also would monitor the total number of men that each women had commercial sex with and how much money was made. A single young woman would have as many as 20 “Johns” or more in one day.

U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall stated, “These defendants not only entered our country illegally, but then took advantage of these young women by trafficking them for sexual activity. These crimes check the boxes of the highest priorities of our office and this Administration.” Wall applauded the teamwork of the several agencies involved which included the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Ross lead the prosecution. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Worlington West, age 42, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to reports, on or about August 18, 2026, West was stopped for a traffic violation and was found to be in possession of approximately thirty-seven pounds of a substance which appeared to be cocaine. Presumptive testing yielded positive results for cocaine which would have an estimated street value of around $400,000. Additionally, West was also found to be in possession of a Taurus, 9mm pistol.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Baton Rouge Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney April Leon leads the prosecution.

NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.

Kleider Enrique Garcia Ochoa, age 31, of Venezuela, who is present in the United States without authorization, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Ochoa to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completion of his sentence.

According to admissions made during his plea, Ochoa used social media applications and the name “Conociendo” to convince someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy in Denham Springs, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Ochoa agreed to travel to Denham Springs, Louisiana, to pick up the supposed 15-year-old boy to engage in sexual acts. An undercover law enforcement officer posed as the 15-year-old boy and officers arrested Ochoa when he arrived at the location. During his conduct, Ochoa sent the undercover officer a picture of himself and his genitals and requested that the supposed 15-year-old boy send him sexually explicit images of himself. Ochoa also asked for the undercover officer’s location and expressed his desire to engage in illegal sex acts in person.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen L. Ross leads the prosecution. 

“This was excellent work by our prosecutors and law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Wall. “Anyone who attempts to sexually exploit our children in the Middle District of Louisiana needs to know that they will be held accountable. We will continue to pursue these predators relentlessly.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

Devonte Skinner, age 34, of Albany, Louisiana, was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall. U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick further sentenced Skinner to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on February 21, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a controlled purchase of 3,792 pills pressed to resemble 30 mg oxycodone and containing 539.2 grams of fentanyl from Skinner and another individual using a confidential source (CS). The CS met Skinner in a restaurant parking lot on O’Neal Lane in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Skinner was in the front passenger seat of a vehicle and exchanged the pills and money with the CS.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese led the prosecution. 

“I am very pleased with the dedicated work of our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Wall. “Fentanyl continues to pose a grave threat to communities throughout Louisiana and distributing this substance in such quantities risks devastating harm.  The Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account the criminal act and the defendant’s prior criminal history, called for a sentencing range of 262 to 327 months. Although we respect the Court’s role in sentencing, we have concerns that a sentence far below the guidelines range sends a harmful message. Unfortunately, our district has experienced hundreds of fentanyl overdoses over the past few years. Recently, we are beginning to see a reduction in those numbers, which gives us some optimism that the message of the dangerousness of fentanyl is finally gaining traction. The defendant’s conduct has to be viewed in the same light as if he had fired 3,972 rounds of ammunition on our public streets.  A 92-month sentence is insufficient, and our office is reviewing the judgment closely and considering all options, including appeal.”

“Fentanyl traffickers endanger our communities with every pill they put on the street,” said HSI New Orleans Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright. “This investigation and conviction reflect HSI’s continued commitment to working with our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who distribute deadly narcotics in Louisiana. Through the Homeland Security Task Force, we will continue using every lawful tool available to disrupt criminal networks and protect the public from the devastation caused by fentanyl.”

This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Coast Guard, Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol (CBP BP) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for Middle District of Louisiana.

Francisco Javier Villanueva Castro, age 29, of Mexico, who is present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty before United States Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. 

According to admissions made during his plea, in February 2025, Castro used online phone messaging applications to convince someone he believed was a 14-year-old male to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. He traveled to Denham Springs, Louisiana, to meet the supposed 14-year-old male and engage in sexual acts. An undercover law enforcement officer posed as the 14-year-old male, and officers arrested Castro when he arrived at the agreed-upon location.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen L. Ross leads the prosecution. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

Anisha Devall Hunter, age 48, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles to two counts of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.

According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, Hunter worked as a senior accountant for a business located in the Middle District of Louisiana in 2023. In her capacity as an accountant, she had access to company credit cards and bank account information. She also had the authority to pay off the credit card statements and make entries into the business’s accounting journal. 

As part of her scheme, Hunter used company credit cards to pay for her own personal expenses. These unauthorized charges included rental payments to her Denham Springs apartment complex, among numerous others. She would then disguise these charges by making false entries into the business’s accounting journal, indicating the purchases were legit business expenses.

Each wire fraud count is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain derived from the offense, whichever is greater. 

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vick leads the prosecution.

The Department of Justice has awarded $2,809,033 collectively to area law enforcement agencies, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall, who stated, “I am thrilled to see taxpayer dollars returned to support our law enforcement partners. Protecting our first responders with better equipment and reducing violent crimes against women are both extremely worthy causes that should always be well funded.”  

The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office (LPSO) was awarded $39,145 to reduce gun-related violence by supporting investigative efforts, enhancing officer safety, and strengthening evidence collection. This will be accomplished through funding for investigator overtime, the use of advanced technology, and targeted enforcement against violent offenders. Under this initiative, LPSO will continue Operation Gun Stop, a program that enables citizens to anonymously report illegal gun activity, thereby increasing community involvement and intelligence gathering. LPSO will further expand the Firearms Investigative Unit, a proven program focused on conducting undercover purchases of illegal firearms and apprehending individuals involved in unlawful gun transactions. Together, these approaches will enhance proactive enforcement, improve case development, and support the prevention of gun-related crimes throughout Livingston Parish.

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office (APSO) was awarded $28,433 to equip all APSO deputies with reliable and effective Body Armor such as ballistic vests, carriers, and trauma plates to increase the likelihood of survival during deadly force encounters. Special emphasis will be incorporated in departmental training regarding the advantages of wearing body armor by non-uniformed officers while performing their duties. 

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office (EBRSO) was awarded $232,868 to support a comprehensive equipment and technology initiative aimed at enhancing public safety, officer safety, and operational effectiveness across multiple divisions. Funds will be used to acquire LIDAR speed detection devices, breaching kits, electronic writing devices, a portable ballistic protection system, traffic control equipment, and portable solar-powered crime camera systems.

The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE) was awarded $893,708 to support rape crisis centers (including governmental rape crisis centers not in territories and tribal governmental programs) and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that provide core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault, regardless of age.

The LCLE was awarded an additional $2,508,587 to develop and strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to combat violent crimes against women and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The LCLE is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.

For more information about these awards, contact OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov, or the Office on Violence Against Women at 202-307-6026 and ask for the Policy, Communication, and Evaluation Division.

Marvell Trevenski Jackson, Jr., age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. United States District Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Jackson to three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. Jackson was also ordered to pay $378,394.00 in restitution and to forfeit an additional $238,804.45 to the United States. 

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Jackson conspired with others to defraud federally insured financial institutions, including Neighbor’s Federal Credit Union (“NFCU”), Essential Federal Credit Union (“EFCU”), First Guarantee Bank and Trust (“FGB”), Navy Federal Credit Union (“Navy FCU”), and Regions Bank, among others. Jackson and his co-conspirators employed a variety of methods, including stealing or obtaining stolen mail to obtain personal and financial information of bank customers; altering or washing checks stolen from the mail; creating counterfeit checks using stolen bank account information; disseminating spam text messages designed to trick bank customers into revealing bank account information and login credentials; and using that confidential information to unlawfully access and transfer funds from victims’ accounts. Jackson also recruited other individuals, commonly known as “money mules,” either to open accounts or to use existing accounts to receive the fraud proceeds. Once the stolen funds were deposited into the accounts held by the money mules or other co-conspirators, these individuals withdrew the funds, keeping a portion for themselves and providing the majority to Jackson.

Additionally, Jackson stole mail, including personal and business checks totaling at least $20,378 that had been placed for collection in the blue boxes at the U.S. Postal Service’s office on Florida Street in Baton Rouge. These stolen checks and others, totaling over $270,000, were later located in a residence used by Jackson, along with the tools and supplies required for printing counterfeit checks.

In total, Jackson and his conspirators obtained or sought to obtain over $500,000 by negotiating, and attempting to negotiate, altered or counterfeit checks using checks and other financial data obtained from stolen U.S. mail.

Members of the conspiracy also engaged in “smishing,” short for “SMS phishing,” a cyber-attack technique whereby perpetrators use Short Message Service (“SMS”) or text messages purporting to be from reputable companies to induce victims to reveal personal information, such as usernames, passwords, or bank account numbers.  Jackson and his co-conspirators executed the smishing scheme in East Baton Rouge Parish, Iberville Parish, Livingston Parish, and others, defrauding financial institutions, including NFCU, EFCU, FGB, and their customers of over $300,000.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Postal Service, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. “This was a fantastic effort by a team of agencies that worked together along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul L. Pugliese. Marvel Jackson is a professional scammer and deserves every day of that sentence and more,” Wall said.

Jonathan Isaac Gibbs, age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge John W. deGravelles to receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on August 10, 2024, Gibbs’ manager at the store where he was employed made a report to Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) regarding Gibbs recording an “up the skirt” video of a minor in the store. 

Subsequently, BRPD issued an arrest warrant for Gibbs, and he was arrested for one count of video voyeurism and one count of indecent behavior with juveniles. The matter was also referred to Louisiana State Police. Law enforcement obtained lawful search warrants for several of Gibbs’ electronic devices and executed them.

On his cellphone, a Russian website associated with child pornography was located. Law enforcement also located 20 “upskirt” images of minors on the cellphone. On Gibbs’ laptop, law enforcement found three images of child sexual abuse material on a hard drive.

Gibbs’ conviction is punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than twenty years, a fine of $250,000, or both. Also, Gibbs faces up to a lifetime of supervised release and will be subject to sex offender registration requirements. 

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baton Rouge Police Department, and Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson led the prosecution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

After a three-day trial before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick, a federal jury unanimously convicted Calvin Kemp, age 60, of Gonzales, Louisiana, and Chevez Tywan Robillard, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of conspiracy to commit wire fraud along with multiple counts of aggravated identify theft, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.

As the evidence at trial demonstrated, Kemp and Robillard created a scheme to defraud insurance companies. Over several months, they obtained the personal identifiers of three victims without their knowledge and then applied for multiple life and accidental death insurance policies with eight separate insurance providers. In furtherance of this scheme, Kemp and Robillard established companies with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office, but the companies never did any business. They also opened a bank account identifying themselves as officers of one of the companies. During the application process, Kemp and Robillard impersonated the victims and fraudulently obtained nine insurance policies worth $4.325 million. Kemp made seven calls to insurance companies and used the stolen identifiers of all three victims while also falsely identifying the victims as musicians and the CEOs of music production companies. Robillard made two calls using the stolen identifiers of two victims and was named as the sole beneficiary in all policies obtained. He submitted claims for insurance benefits on four policies fraudulently issued in the name of one of the victims, who was murdered in Baton Rouge in December 2022. 

As a result of their convictions, Kemp faces a sentence in federal prison of up to 26 years, and Robillard faces a sentence of up to 24 years. In addition to the possible terms of imprisonment, both are subject to significant fines and supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys M. Patricia Jones and Paul L. Pugliese led the prosecution.

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs has awarded $6,361,777 to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (“LCLE”) to provide resources to help Louisiana agencies combat the drug epidemic, violent crimes, and to strengthen the juvenile justice system, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.  

$5,894,572 was awarded through Bureau of Justice Assistance. The goal of the grants is to provide state and local government funding to enforce drug control laws, improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, and enhance funds for antiviolence programs, mental health courts and drug courts to fight the drug epidemic and violent crime. 

$467,205 was awarded through the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Program to support the state's ongoing efforts to maintain compliance with the core requirements, strengthen juvenile justice system improvements, and enhance services for youth and communities across Louisiana that promote public safety, reduce juvenile delinquency, and improve outcomes for youth in or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

LCLE is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.

For more information about these awards, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov.

Alexander Brock, age 60, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles further sentenced Brock to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. 

After a three-day trial, the jury unanimously convicted Brock of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, Brock acted as a middleman by repeatedly brokering high-quantity deals to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine in East Baton Rouge and Iberville Parishes, while also converting cocaine into crack cocaine and distributing those substances to his own customers. The jury also determined that the conspiracy involved more than 500 grams of cocaine and more than 28 grams of crack cocaine. 

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division, and Benjamin Anderson led the prosecution.  “The success of these operations is attributed to true teamwork. I am proud of our prosecutors and thankful for our local and federal partners. They are working every day to make our community safer,” U.S. Attorney Wall said. 

This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Coast Guard, Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol (CBP BP) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for Middle District of Louisiana.

After a two-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles, a federal jury unanimously convicted John I. Davis, age 47, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and possession of firearms by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. 

As the evidence at trial demonstrated, between March 1, 2021, and continuing until on or about April 23, 2021, Davis and his girlfriend, Madelyn Payne, repeatedly distributed large amounts of heroin to their customers in busy parking lots at shopping centers and fast-food restaurants in East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes. Deputies also seized over 300 grams of heroin and over $40,000 hidden in a wall at the residence they shared. Deputies were also able to recover and seize multiple firearms from Davis during their investigation.

Davis was previously convicted on September 10, 2009, in the Middle District of Louisiana for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. 

As a result of his convictions, Davis now faces a sentence in federal prison of no less than ten years and up to life imprisonment, as well as significant fines, restitution, and supervised release. 

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Task Force, and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Criminal Chief Will Morris and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth White led the prosecution.

Godson Oghenebrume, age 23, a Nigerian national residing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison by U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick following his conviction for possession of a firearm by an alien admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa, announced United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completion of his sentence.

According to admissions made during his plea, on February 7, 2025, Oghenebrume possessed a Glock model 43X, 9mm pistol, while he was admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant F-1 student visa. 

Based on the complaint that preceded the indictment, on the night of February 7, 2025, Oghenebrume was in his apartment when an ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his infant child, arrived at the apartment with the baby. Oghenebrume, who had been in the apartment with another young woman, went outside, and an argument ensued between him and the mother of his child. During this argument, and while the baby was present, Oghenebrume discharged the firearm. 

Oghenebrume went back into his apartment. Sometime thereafter, Oghenebrume’s ex-girlfriend opened his apartment door and observed Oghenebrume and the other young woman in the living room, and she and Oghenebrume began to argue. That argument spilled out of the apartment, and Oghenebrume discharged the firearm more times as the mother of his child fled. Multiple bullet strikes were observed in the walls of the apartment complex.

Oghenebrume smashed his ex-girlfriend’s phone and took the baby, who had been present throughout the incident. Oghenebrume’s ex-girlfriend then approached the other woman, who was attempting to leave, and asked her for help getting the baby. She agreed to help and was able to get the child from Oghenebrume. 

When East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the apartment complex, Oghenebrume walked away from them, ignoring their commands, and discarded the Glock model 43X, 9mm pistol into some shrubs. Oghenebrume was detained soon thereafter. Deputies spoke to Oghenebrume’s neighbor, who confirmed hearing shots and stated his ears had been ringing.

In a post Miranda interview, EBRSO detectives asked Oghenebrume why he had shot the firearm in the apartment complex. He claimed that he had wanted his ex-girlfriend to go home and that he had shot the gun to scare her away.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy S. Johnson and Lyman E. Thornton III led the prosecution. 

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

William Alexander Ruiz-Ponce, age 28, of Honduras, who is present in the United States without authorization, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Ruiz-Ponce to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completion of his sentence.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in February 2025, Ruiz-Ponce used social media applications and text messages to convince someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl in Denham Springs, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Ruiz-Ponce traveled to Denham Springs to meet the supposed 14-year-old girl and engage in sexual acts. An undercover law enforcement officer posed as the 14-year-old girl, and officers arrested Ruiz-Ponce when he arrived at the agreed-upon location. During their conversation, Ruiz-Ponce sent the undercover officer sexually explicit images of himself, including photos of his genitals. Ruiz-Ponce also asked for the undercover officer’s location and expressed his desire to engage in illegal sex acts in person.

U.S. Attorney Wall stated, “Make no mistake, our office will aggressively prosecute those despicable individuals who continue to attempt to solicit our children. This conviction is further proof of that effort.” He praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Vick and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Ross lead the prosecution. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 

Damiene M. Varice, age 47, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison following his conviction for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles further sentenced Varice to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on July 9, 2025, at a retail business located on Greenwell Springs Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Varice sold several baggies of white powdery substances to a confidential informant working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Field testing returned positive results for methamphetamine and fentanyl. Subsequent laboratory analysis confirmed that the methamphetamine mixture had a net weight of 28.0 grams and 98% purity and that the fentanyl mixture had a net weight of 3.48 grams.        

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III led the prosecution.

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that Cody Gaspard, age 27, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison following his conviction for assaulting a postal employee. U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Gaspard to serve two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

“Postal employees perform an essential public service in every community,” said U.S. Attorney Wall. “They deserve to carry out their duties free from threats, intimidation, and violence.  While we are pleased with this conviction, the defendant’s actions are inexcusable and warranted an even harsher sentence. When a federal employee is assaulted while serving the public, this office will aggressively prosecute those responsible and seek sentences that reflect the seriousness of those crimes.”

On April 15, 2025, a United States Postal Service rural letter carrier was delivering mail and packages at an apartment complex in Livingston Parish when Gaspard confronted her over packages that had not yet been delivered. The evidence at trial established that what began as a verbal dispute quickly escalated into a violent assault.

Witnesses testified that Gaspard repeatedly confronted the mail carrier as she attempted to continue performing her delivery duties. During the encounter, Gaspard directed racially charged insults at the mail carrier, followed her through the apartment complex, physically grabbed her by the neck, and assaulted her for more than a minute, eventually lifting her and slamming her to the ground. The assault ended only after another resident intervened to help the mail carrier escape.

Gaspard was found guilty of this crime after a three-day jury trial in March 2026.

During sentencing, the Court also considered a victim impact statement submitted by the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association on behalf of approximately 130,000 rural letter carriers nationwide. The Association explained that violence against postal employees extends beyond the individual victim, undermining the safety of postal workers across the country and threatening the public’s ability to receive reliable mail service. The Association urged the Court to impose a sentence that reflected the seriousness of the offense, recognized the physical and emotional harm inflicted on the mail carrier, and deterred future acts of violence against postal employees performing their official duties.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamie A. Flowers, Jr. and Ellison C. Travis led the prosecution.

Today, United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced criminal charges against Kendrick Derrell Adams of Houston, Texas, for conspiracy to acquire and obtain possession of controlled substances by fraud and acquiring and obtaining possession of controlled substance by fraud in connection with a scheme to purchase controlled substances using a fraudulent prescription. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. 

“Healthcare Fraud is not only theft of taxpayer dollars, but it also directly contributes to the rising costs of health care for everyone,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “We will not sit by passively while these fraudsters line their pockets with stolen monies. They need to know that their day of reckoning is coming.”

The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Wall are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and, in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously-charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms.   

Today’s coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: 

• Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers.
• 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers.
• Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million.
• 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025.

The following individual was charged in the Middle District of Louisiana: Kendrick Derrell Adams, age 39, of Houston, Texas. 

As alleged in the indictment, Adams worked with others to obtain promethazine-codeine, a Schedule V controlled substance, using a fraudulent prescription. That prescription was submitted using a doctor’s stolen identity and in the name of a fake patient. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Zakeria Haidary and Acting Assistant Chief Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Thornhill of the Middle District of Louisiana.

The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation of federal cases announced today.

Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.

The Middle District of Louisiana, in particular, worked with the Department’s Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, to investigate and prosecute the case filed during the Takedown.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

In honor of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, Kurt L. Wall, joins the Elder Justice Coordinating Council and other government agencies and organizations across the country to spread the word about government and business imposter scams.

Government imposter scams are a serious problem: in 2025, the FTC received more than 375,000 reports about government imposters, with reported losses of $917 million. 

These imposter scammers lie and pretend to be someone they’re not. Their goal? Trick you into giving them money, access to your financial accounts, or your personal information. They make up complicated stories about so-called emergencies, so you’ll panic and act quickly before you have time to think about what to do or talk to someone you trust.

One common scam starts with an unexpected call from someone who says they’re from a well-known business, saying there’s suspicious activity on your account. 

To “help” you, they transfer you to someone who says they’re from the government. This so-called helper, who claims to be from the FBI, the FTC, or some other law enforcement agency, urges you to move your money to “protect it” — maybe by transferring it to an account they give you, depositing it in a “government account” or crypto ATM for “safekeeping,” or getting cash or gold and giving it to a courier. But it’s all a lie. No one from the government will ever ask you to do these things. Only scammers will. 

Other lies might involve a “suspended Social Security number” or supposed eligibility for government benefits. In all cases, that scammer will go to great lengths to convince you they’re with the government: fake caller ID or official-looking letters, for example. The agency name might be real or made up (but real-sounding), and some scammers might show you an employee ID or badge — all to seem more real. But they’re not.

To recognize and avoid a government imposter, keep these things in mind:

• Never ever will someone from the government say: “Your money isn’t safe. Move it to protect it.” Only a scammer will.
• Never ever will someone from the government threaten to suspend your government benefits if you don’t pay immediately. Only a scammer will. 
• Never ever will someone from the government demand that you pay with a payment app, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or gift cards.

Talk to someone you trust if you’re worried about a problem with your account or identity — especially if the stranger says they’re from the government or the situation is serious or involves a crime. Visit ejcc.acl.gov/imposters for more on imposter scams. And if you spot an imposter scam — or any other type of scam — report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

A federal grand jury returned a seventeen-count indictment charging four former East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office (EBRSO) employees, assigned to the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison (EBRPP), for civil rights violations announced United States Attorney Kurt Wall. The indictment charges two former deputies and two former corporals with crimes relating to the abuse of rights under color of law, conspiracy, making a false report, and witness tampering:

• Aaron Johnson, age 29, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, was charged with three counts of abuse of rights under color of law for assaulting unresisting and handcuffed inmates in isolated areas of the prison not covered by surveillance, including an incident where Johnson allegedly struck a pretrial detainee in the head with a metal folding chair.
• Kenyaki Domino, age 29, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was charged with two counts of abuse of rights under color of law for assaulting unresisting and handcuffed inmates in isolated areas of the prison not covered by surveillance, including an incident where Domino allegedly slammed an inmate’s head into a doorframe during an escort.
• Darius Powell, age 24, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Lionel James, age 30, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were charged with two counts and one count, respectively, for abuse of rights under color of law for their conduct.

All four men were also charged with conspiring to cover up the assaults of EBRPP prisoners as well as falsifying reports about the incidents. Johnson and Powell also face counts of witness tampering. 

According to the indictment, the defendants used areas within EBRPP that did not have security cameras, such as the sally port area and interview rooms, to assault inmates and a detainee by attacking them while they were isolated and unresisting. All four attacks resulted in bodily injury, and three involved the use of dangerous weapons. The defendants conspired with one another to cover up the attacks by creating false cover stories that omitted the use of force. The conspiracies also involved text discussions between the defendants regarding EBRSO investigators and the falsification of reports. The indictment also describes a social media post created by Powell that contained pictures and statements about one of the assaults.

While employed at EBRPP, Johnson served as a field training officer responsible for providing deputies with on-the-job training, and Domino and James were responsible for supervising deputies.

In a related case, Christian Morris, age 29 of Zachary, Louisiana, a former corporal with EBRSO, pleaded guilty on June 2, 2026, to one count of abuse of rights under color of law for failing to intervene despite having the means and opportunity to do so while an inmate was being assaulted. 

The defendants face up to ten years imprisonment on the abuse of rights and conspiracy counts and up to twenty years imprisonment on the false report and witness tampering offenses. 

“An overwhelming majority of law enforcement personnel are extremely professional and proficient in their duties,” said U.S. Attorney Wall. “However, when someone in a position of trust has violated that responsibility, it is our job to make certain that they are held accountable. Thanks to East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux and his office for their complete cooperation in this matter and additional thanks to our partners at the FBI for a very thorough investigation.”

“The FBI appreciates the cooperation of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office in this investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI works closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office in cases like this, and we take these types of allegations against law enforcement officers very seriously.”

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Johnson and Assistant United States Attorney April Leon lead the prosecutions.

NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – HECTOR MONDRAGON-FLORES (“MONDRAGON”), age 33, and EDWIN SALGADO-NUNEZ (“SALGADO”), age 31, were sentenced on May 21, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe for multiple felony offenses including kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.

MONDRAGON was sentenced to 27.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, along with an $800 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously being convicted by a jury of all eight counts of a superseding indictment against him. The jury found MONDRAGON guilty of kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); two counts of interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); conspiracy to receive a ransom payment, and two counts of receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371; and assault on a federal officer using a deadly weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b).

SALGADO was sentenced to 22 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $500 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to five counts of a superseding indictment against him. SALGADO pleaded guilty to kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); and conspiracy to receive a ransom payment, and receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371.

According to court documents and evidence at trial, on October 2, 2024, MONDRAGON and SALGADO kidnapped the victim and bound his feet together and bound the victim’s hands together behind his back. The two men then held the victim at gunpoint in MONDRAGON’s apartment and demanded payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim’s father for his son’s release. MONDRAGON called the victim’s father over 50 times and threatened to kill the victim if the ransom was not paid. The victim’s father agreed to pay the ransom but reported the kidnapping to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on his way to the ransom exchange. NOPD detectives monitored the ransom exchange and arrested SALGADO after the victim’s father paid $3,000 cash to an associate of MONDRAGON and SALGADO. Before he was arrested, SALGADO attempted to flee by ramming a law enforcement vehicle.

Following SALGADO’s arrest, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to co-defendant Janette Ramirez’s apartment. MONDRAGON then demanded a ransom payment from the victim’s girlfriend for his release. After the victim’s girlfriend was unable to successfully transfer the payment to MONDRAGON or Ramirez, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to an ATM. The victim then withdrew $400 and gave it to MONDRAGON to secure his release. 

The next day, law enforcement officers spotted MONDRAGON at an apartment complex in New Orleans East. When officers attempted to arrest him, MONDRAGON pulled out a gun, forced his way into an occupied apartment, and took a hostage inside the apartment. The hostage escaped when MONDRAGON attempted to climb out of a window. As MONDRAGON was kicking out the window screen, he pointed his gun at two law enforcement officers, who forced him to turn back inside. MONDRAGON barricaded himself in the apartment for nearly eight hours until the NOPD SWAT team deployed tear gas and forced him to surrender. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

                                                                                                     ***

Deputy Brandon Searles of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office was recognized as the Middle District’s Freedom 250 Hometown Hero, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. The Freedom 250 Hometown Hero initiative is part of America’s 250 anniversary celebrations, honoring local law enforcement heroes across the country for their courage, generosity, and service.

On May 8, 2025, Deputy Searles, a private citizen and former Marine Reservist at the time, stopped an attempted bank robbery at the Regions Bank on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Without hesitation or concern for his own safety, Deputy Searles disarmed and secured Quarles James Harris, age 52, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Harris was then arrested by Baton Rouge Police officers and taken into custody. 

Before the incident, Deputy Searles was in the process of applying with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. He graduated from the Capital Area Regional Training Academy in December 2025.

Harris was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on July 16, 2025, for bank robbery; using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Wall stated, “It is my honor to recognize Brandon for his selflessness and bravery. Without hesitation, he took action that day to protect his fellow neighbors from a very dangerous situation. He has served our country as a marine and continues to serve our community as a deputy. We are very fortunate to have Brandon as our Hometown Hero.

“Even before Deputy Brandon Searles joined the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, he demonstrated the courage, selflessness, and instinct to protect others that define the very best in law enforcement,” stated Sheriff Sid Gautreaux. “His actions that day reflected the character, integrity, and sense of duty that cannot be taught. We are incredibly proud of Deputy Searles for receiving this well-deserved recognition and grateful that he is now a member of the EBRSO family. I also want to thank U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall and his office for recognizing Brandon’s actions and honoring individuals who selflessly step forward to protect others. We are fortunate to have Deputy Searles serving our community alongside us each day.”

Demietriek Scott, age 50, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Brian A. Jackson to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.

According to admissions made during his plea, Scott conspired with another to devise a scheme to obtain federal funds in the form of LaCAP grant money from the Louisiana Department of Education. Scott and his co-conspirator made a non-existent childcare provider appear operational and manipulated spreadsheets and data systems utilized by the Louisiana Department of Education to steal $74,250 in federal funds. This prosecution demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to fighting fraud and the need for the recent creation of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

LaCAP grants are associated with monies that are paid in connection with a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster or Emergency. Scott’s conviction is punishable by a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, and a period of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson leads the prosecution. “If you choose to steal money taxpayer money that is designated to help those in need, you will be prosecuted to the fullest,” U.S. Attorney Wall stated.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.  

Osleidy Vanesa Chourio Diaz, age 28, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.

Today’s conviction is the third conviction in this ongoing investigation.  Previously, in April 2025, Josmar Jesus Zambrano-Chirinos, age 25, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and in January 2026, Allbert Herrera Machado, age 25, also a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.

According to admissions made during their guilty pleas, between February 2024 and April 26, 2024, Zambrano, Chourio Diaz and others were involved in a scheme to recruit women from outside the United States, to arrange for them to enter the United States illegally, and, using force, threats of force, fraud, coercion, and a combination of such means, to cause them to work as prostitutes.  Machado knowingly agreed to assist the scheme.

In furtherance of the scheme, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz rented an apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where at least two women lived and worked as prostitutes.  In early 2024, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz assisted the first victim as she entered the United States illegally from Mexico.  Zambrano discussed with the victim in advance that she would owe a substantial debt to Zambrano and others; that she would be working as a prostitute in the United States; and that while she would keep some of the funds from her prostitution activities, most of the funds would be applied to her debt.  Zambrano also facilitated a second victim’s travel to Baton Rouge.  Zambrano and Chourio Diaz arranged for the victim to work as a prostitute out of the apartment they had rented, and they led the victim to believe that she, too, owed them a large debt.

Meanwhile, Machado resided at the apartment with the victims and controlled their day-to-day movements and activities.  Machado would message customers to schedule sexual encounters with the victims and collect and control payments from customers, who paid in cash.  He would also communicate with Zambrano and Chourio Diaz regarding the victims and would receive instructions regarding (a) how much and how often the victims should work, (b) what portion of the proceeds the victims could keep, and (c) whether and under what circumstances the victims could leave the apartment.

On April 26, 2024, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call placed by one of the victims at the apartment. Deputies arrived at the residence and located Machado and two victims inside the apartment. During a subsequent search of the apartment, deputies recovered evidence confirming that the apartment was being used as part of a prostitution business, including stacks of cash, numerous used condoms, sexual items and devices, multiple cell phones containing messages from potential “clients” who were asking to meet, and several ledger books that appeared to document how much money each of the victims had made each day and how much of their debt remained.

If convicted, each defendant faces a lengthy federal prison sentence, as well as the forfeiture of any and all proceeds from the offense.  They are each also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing their sentences.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office with valuable assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin M. Anderson and Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, lead the prosecution.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Kelly Denise Hernandez, age 38, of Birmingham, Alabama, and Enrique Garcia-Gonzalez, age 27, an illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.

According to admissions made during their pleas, Hernandez, Garcia-Gonzalez, and another co-conspirator agreed to transport and transported illegal aliens who had been smuggled into the United States from Mexico. Specifically, Hernandez and Garcia-Gonzalez traveled from Birmingham, Alabama to Houston, Texas where they and another co-conspirator intended to charge each illegal alien a monetary fee for unlawful transportation within the United States. Law enforcement apprehended Hernandez and Garcia-Gonzalez on their way back to Birmingham, Alabama in Denham Springs, Louisiana.   

If convicted, Hernandez and Garcia-Gonzalez face up to ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release. Garcia-Gonzalez is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing his sentence.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen L. Ross lead the prosecution.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women has awarded $2,130,000 collectively to the Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center, Baton Rouge City Office of the Treasurer, and Louisiana Department of Justice, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. 

The Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR) Center was awarded $1,200,000 to improve the Criminal Justice Response Program which assists state, local, and tribal governments and courts in improving the criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to seek safety and autonomy for victims. The project will support medical and/or law enforcement accompaniment services for victims of sexual assault and follow-up calls after acute crisis response; advocacy services for victims to ensure they are connected to resources; court accompaniment; and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners clinical trainings, consultation, and peer review. STAR is a nonprofit organization committed to serving youth and adult survivors of sexual trauma and building institutional capacity to prevent and respond responsibly to sexual violence in the community.

The Baton Rouge City Office of the Treasurer (BRCOT) was awarded $500,000 and the Louisiana Department of Justice (LA DOJ) was awarded $430,000 to support their continued efforts of the Abby Honold Program which aims to improve law enforcement’s response to allegations of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Grant funds will provide continued training of covered individuals in the use of evidence-based, trauma-informed, and victim-centered approaches and apply knowledge of crime victims’ rights throughout an investigation; and to work to improve the response of covered individuals to domestic and sexual violence and stalking. BRCOT serves as a parent organization for various municipal functions in East Baton Rouge Parish.

For more information about this award, contact the Office on Violence Against Women at 202-307-6026 and ask for the Policy, Communication, and Evaluation Division.

Richard Lance Cline Jr., age 35, of Walker, Louisiana, was sentenced to 282 months in federal prison following his convictions for distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles further sentenced Cline to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

As the evidence at trial demonstrated, on February 25, 2021, and March 3, 2021, Cline sold 50 grams or more of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. On March 9, 2021, he was arrested in possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine while attempting a third sale to an undercover law enforcement officer. Cline raised the defense of entrapment, but the jury unanimously rejected the entrapment argument and convicted Cline of distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“Punishing those who continue to sell drugs in our community is a major priority of this office,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “Twenty-three years in federal prison is the type of sentence that should begin to grab their attention.”

“Methamphetamine destroys lives and tears at the fabric of our neighborhoods. Today’s sentencing ensures this offender is off the streets for nearly 24 years,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer. “This lengthy prison term is a victory for public safety and a testament to the seamless collaboration between federal and local law enforcement.”

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert W. Piedrahita and Ellison C. Travis oversaw the prosecution.

Frank Sneed, age 33, of New Roads, Louisiana, was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson further sentenced Sneed to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearm involved be forfeited. 

According to admissions made during his plea, on November 29, 2023, an East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office detective responded to a report of retail theft at a retail store located off Siegen Lane in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While working that investigation, officers observed two men (Man #1 and Man #2), who were unrelated to the initial investigation, entering the store together. After Man #1 was observed hiding items on his person, officers contacted and detained both men. As reflected in the video from the store, Man #2, who was identified as Sneed, did not participate in the theft. However, in conjunction with an officer safety pat down, Sneed told the detective that he had a gun in his jacket. Officers located and removed a Smith and Wesson M&P 45 pistol from Sneed’s jacket. At the time of the offense, Sneed knew he had been convicted of a felony and could not possess a firearm.

Sneed was previously convicted of two counts of simple burglary on May 9, 2011, in the 19th Judicial District Court, and was initially sentenced to two years of probation and later three years in prison after his probation was revoked; simple burglary on October 25, 2011, in the 19th Judicial District Court, and sentenced to one year in prison to run consecutive to his three-year sentence; two counts of armed robbery on August 3, 2015, in the 19th Judicial District Court, and sentenced to 10 years in prison; and simple escape on March 22, 2016, in the 12th Judicial District Court, and sentenced to one year in prison to run consecutive to his 10 year sentence.

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office; and U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Anderson is in charge of the prosecution.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

Marvell Trevenski Jackson, Jr., age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Brian A. Jackson to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, between at least July 2023, and continuing through at least May 2025, Jackson conspired with others, known and unknown, to defraud federally insured financial institutions, including Neighbor's Federal Credit Union (“NFCU”), Essential Federal Credit Union (“EFCU”), First Guarantee Bank and Trust (“FGB”), Navy Federal Credit Union (“Navy FCU”), and Regions Bank, among others. Jackson and his co-conspirators employed a variety of methods, including stealing or obtaining stolen mail to obtain personal and financial information of bank customers; altering or washing checks stolen from the mail; creating counterfeit checks using stolen bank account information; disseminating spam text messages designed to trick bank customers into revealing bank account information and login credentials; and using that confidential information to unlawfully access and transfer funds from victims accounts. To further the purpose of the conspiracy and to evade detection, Jackson recruited other individuals, commonly known as “money mules,” to either open accounts or whose existing accounts could be used to receive the fraud proceeds. Once the stolen funds were deposited into the accounts held by the money mules or other co-conspirators, these individuals withdrew the funds, keeping a portion for themselves and providing the majority to Jackson.

Between at least July 2023 and continuing until at least May 2024, Jackson conspired with others, known and unknown, to obtain personal identifying information (“PII”), along with personal and business checks, that were stolen from the U.S. mail.

For example, between July 1, 2023, and September 26, 2023, Jackson communicated with a co-conspirator, a mail carrier and resident of Denham Springs, Louisiana, to purchase over $119,000 worth of checks stolen from the mail, including a check in the amount of $1,450. Members of the conspiracy later altered the check, changing the payee to that of a money mule and the amount payable to $60,000. Members of the conspiracy deposited the check at a Regions Bank in Baton Rouge. The funds were withdrawn before the bank identified the fraud, causing a loss of $60,000 to Regions Bank.

In another instance, in or around February 7, 2024, Jackson stole mail, including personal and business checks totaling at least $20,378 that had been placed for collection in the blue boxes at the US Postal Service's office located on Florida Street in Baton Rouge. These stolen checks and others, totaling over $270,000, were later located in a residence used by Jackson, along with the tools and supplies required for printing counterfeit checks.

In total, Jackson and his conspirators obtained or sought to obtain over $500,000 by negotiating, and attempting to negotiate, altered or counterfeit checks using checks and other financial data obtained from stolen U.S. mail.

Members of the conspiracy also engaged in “smishing,” short for “SMS phishing,” a cyber-attack technique whereby perpetrators use Short Message Service (“SMS”) or text messages purporting to be from reputable companies to induce victims to reveal personal information, such as usernames, passwords, or bank account numbers.

Between April and May 2025, members of the conspiracy sent fraudulent text messages to customers of NFCU, EFCU, and FGB. The text messages falsely reported unauthorized financial transactions and directed customers to provide login credentials and other confidential information needed to access their bank accounts. In some instances, members of the conspiracy followed fraudulent text messages with phone calls to customers to elicit personal and confidential information regarding their accounts by impersonating bank employees.

Members of the conspiracy then used the bank account information provided by customers to conduct unauthorized electronic transfers of funds from victims' accounts. To conceal the fraud and evade detection, Jackson advertised the scheme using his Instagram account and recruited money mules to open bank accounts at NFCU, EFCU, and FGB, which could be used to receive unauthorized electronic transfers from customers’ bank accounts in exchange for keeping a portion of the funds.

Thereafter, members of the conspiracy unlawfully accessed and transferred funds from customer's accounts to the accounts opened by money mules at NFCU, EFCU, and FGB. Jackson directed the money mules to withdraw or to electronically transfer the stolen funds to himself or other members of the conspiracy.

Jackson and his co-conspirators executed the smishing scheme in East Baton Rouge Parish, Iberville Parish, Livingston Parish, and others, defrauding financial institutions including NFCU, EFCU, FGB, and their customers of over $300,000.

Jackson’s convictions are punishable by a maximum of 35 years in prison, a $1,250,000 fine, and up to 8 years of supervised release. The Court may also order restitution.

“Fraud comes in all shapes and sizes,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “This administration, and our office, are committed to using every tool available to pursue fraudsters and hold them fully accountable for their actions.”

U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Postal Service, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig is in charge of the prosecution.

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that William Alexander Ruiz-Ponce, age 28, a Honduran national who is present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in February 2025, Ruiz-Ponce used social media applications and text messages to convince someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl in Denham Springs, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Ruiz-Ponce traveled to Denham Springs to meet the supposed 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual acts. An undercover law enforcement officer posed as the 14-year-old girl and officers arrested Ruiz-Ponce when he arrived at the agreed-upon location. During their conversation, Ruiz-Ponce sent the undercover officer sexually explicit images of himself, including photos of his genitals. Ruiz-Ponce also asked for the undercover officer’s location and expressed his desire to engage in illegal sex acts in person.

Ruiz-Ponce’s conviction is punishable by a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime period of supervised release, and includes sex offender registration requirements. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing his sentence.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Vick and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that Kleider Enrique Garcia Ochoa, age 30, a Venezuelan national who is present in the United States without authorization, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.

According to admissions made during his plea, Ochoa used social media applications and the name “Conociendo” in an attempt to convince someone he believed was a 15-year-old boy in Denham Springs, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Ochoa agreed to travel to Denham Springs, Louisiana, to pick up the supposed 15-year-old boy to engage in sexual acts. An undercover law enforcement officer posed as the 15-year-old boy and officers arrested Ochoa when he arrived at the location. During his conduct, Ochoa sent the undercover officer a picture of himself and his genitals and requested that the supposed 15-year-old boy send him sexually explicit images of himself. Ochoa also asked for the undercover officer’s location and expressed his desire to engage in illegal sex acts in person.

Ochoa’s conviction is punishable by a minimum of ten years and a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, up to a lifetime period of supervised release, and includes sex offender registration requirements. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing his sentence.

“This guilty plea is the result of great teamwork between our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “An illegal immigrant, who was attempting to commit a sex offense with someone he believed to be 15-years-old, will now be going to prison for a long time. This is a good day for justice!”

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Lead Homeland Security Task Force Trial Attorney, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced the conviction of Cody Gaspard, age 27, of Denham Springs, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Gaspard of assaulting a postal employee.

As the evidence at trial demonstrated, Gaspard approached a United States Postal Service worker who was delivering mail at an apartment complex in Livingston Parish and began using aggressive and racially charged language. Gaspard’s conduct interfered with the postal worker’s duties and quickly rose to intimidation, assault, and a physical confrontation, which caused bodily injury to the postal worker.

As a result of his conviction, Gaspard now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 and supervised release.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie L. Flowers, Jr. and Ellison C. Travis.

United States Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Victorino De La Cruz, age 43, of Mableton, Georgia, to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The Court further sentenced De La Cruz to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release. De La Cruz, a Mexican national who is present in the United States on a now-revoked work visa, may also be deported from the United States upon completing his sentence.

De La Cruz used social media applications and the name “Code_Magnolia” to convince someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Over the course of several months, De La Cruz engaged in sexually explicit communications, among other things, to entice her to engage in sexual acts. The 14-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. De La Cruz also sent the undercover officer pictures of himself and his genitals and requested that she send him sexually explicit videos and images of herself. Further, De La Cruz asked for the undercover law enforcement officer’s location, expressed his desire to engage in illegal sexual acts in person, and discussed and planned an arrangement with the undercover law enforcement agent where De La Cruz would visit the undercover law enforcement agent in Baton Rouge to engage in illegal sexual activity. De La Cruz was arrested by law enforcement in December 2024.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Anderson and Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Lead Homeland Security Task Force Trial Attorney, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Adrienne Marie King, age 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, to 48 months in federal prison following her convictions for conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle; altering, removing and obliterating a vehicle identification number; and possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices. The Court further sentenced King to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $127,000 in restitution.

In imposing King’s prison term, and according to admissions as part of her plea, the Court found that, between October 2021 and March 2022, King, Dennis Lloyd Sizemore, Robert Brazell, and Chrisopher Don Byerley carried out a coordinated and complex operation extending across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, in which the group stole and then used or sold the stolen and altered vehicles, including tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck, with a total value of over $250,000.

The conspiracy involved tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to disguise the identity of stolen property; using a chop shop, fraudulent documentation, and false business fronts such as “Hevyquip L.L.C.” to sell stolen equipment; and possessing without authorization over 900 identities and access devices to further conceal the criminal activities.

In February 2022, an investigation of a shoplifting incident in the Juban Crossing Shopping Center led Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives to uncover from a stolen pickup truck being operated by Byerley and King an unregistered firearm silencer; an FN Model 509 9mm pistol and ammunition; documentation detailing parts orders for silencers all in Byerley’s handwriting;  multiple text messages and photographs pointing to intent to traffic firearms and circumvent federal regulations; and numerous documents, records, emails, text messages, and photos that led law enforcement to uncover the conspiracy and far-reaching criminal enterprise.

Byerley was recently sentenced to 115 months in federal prison following his convictions in this conspiracy and for firearm violations. Sizemore and Brazwell await sentencing.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Saint Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Saint Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberia Sheriff’s Department, and Lafayette Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and M. Patricia Jones. 

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Jeremy Dewayne Hawkins, age 45, of Zachary, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. The Court further sentenced Hawkins to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

As the evidence at trial demonstrated, DEA agents intercepted communications over four of Hawkins’ telephones between June and August 2017 and learned that Hawkins conspired with others to obtain kilogram quantities of cocaine and heroin from Houston, Texas and elsewhere and redistribute those narcotics within the Middle District of Louisiana. Evidence brought to light at trial by federal and state law enforcement officials described a search warrant on Hawkins’ property in Ethel, Louisiana, where agents located more than four kilograms of cocaine, over 100 grams of heroin, six firearms, and over 800 rounds of ammunition.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baton Rouge comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Coast Guard, Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol (CBP BP), with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as a Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division.

A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of aggravated identity theft and false statements related to the submission of a fraudulent application to sponsor an unaccompanied alien child (UAC).

According to court documents, Felix Coc Choc, 29, of Rogers, Arkansas, submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of a UAC after the UAC entered the United States illegally.

As admitted in the plea agreement, after the 16-year-old Guatemalan UAC entered the United States illegally in January 2023, Coc Choc submitted an application to sponsor the UAC, falsely claiming to be the UAC’s brother, J.C.J. Coc Choc also provided to ORR J.C.J.’s Guatemalan national identification card and birth certificate in support of the sponsorship application. After initially denying that he was using another individual’s identity, Coc Choc admitted to impersonating J.C.J and then submitted a sponsorship application in his true name. ORR denied this application as a result of the fraud.

Coc Choc pleaded guilty to one count of making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. At sentencing, Coc Choc faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. The Court will schedule Coc Choc’s sentencing at a later date.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case. U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Legal Attaché team in Guatemala, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR provided valuable assistance.

Joint Task Force Alpha Trial Attorneys Aaron Jennen and Nicole Lockhart and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.

The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of aggravated identity theft and false statements related to the submission of a fraudulent application to sponsor an unaccompanied alien child (UAC).

According to court documents, Felix Coc Choc, 29, of Rogers, Arkansas, submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of a UAC after the UAC entered the United States illegally.

As admitted in the plea agreement, after the 16-year-old Guatemalan UAC entered the United States illegally in Jan. 2023, Coc Choc submitted an application to sponsor the UAC, falsely claiming to be the UAC’s brother, J.C.J. Coc Choc also provided to ORR J.C.J.’s Guatemalan national identification card and birth certificate in support of the sponsorship application. After initially denying that he was using another individual’s identity, Coc Choc admitted to impersonating J.C.J and then submitted a sponsorship application in his true name. ORR denied this application as a result of the fraud.

Coc Choc pleaded guilty to one count of making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. At sentencing, Coc Choc faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. The Court will schedule Coc Choc’s sentencing at a later date.  A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case. Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Legal Attaché team in Guatemala, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR provided valuable assistance.

Joint Task Force Alpha Trial Attorneys Aaron Jennen and Nicole Lockhart and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.

The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods. 

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Hannah Kinchen, age 41, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 125 months in federal prison following her conviction for receiving child sexual abuse material produced by a photographer she arranged to take the images. The Court further sentenced Kinchen to serve five years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon her release.

According to admissions made during her guilty plea, beginning in at least July of 2020 and continuing through at least February 2021, Kinchen communicated with a photographer who self-identified as a pedophile, using the Internet, about the minor victim’s modeling career, among other topics.

She coordinated and transported the minor victim to photoshoots with the photographer, in Louisiana and elsewhere. Kinchen was present during these photoshoots, permitted the photographer to photograph the minor victim in scanty attire, including thongs and G-string bikinis, and collaborated in posing the minor victim. Some of the resulting photographs qualified as child pornography and some were later sold.

On or about August 1, 2020, the photographer sent Kinchen most of the images through a file-sharing website on the internet, which she received and downloaded onto her computer.

“This administration will continue to make the safety of our children a top priority. Thanks to the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Craig for their hard work in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall.

“The defendant in this case preyed on an innocent child. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to remove child predators from our great nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI's New Orleans Field Office.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 Justice.gov/PSC.

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Thomas Mills V, age 59, of Zachary, Louisiana, to 175 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography. A jury trial had commenced before Mills entered his guilty plea. The Court further sentenced Mills to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court imposed restitution in the amount of $45,000 and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon his release.

According to admissions made during his plea, on or about October 22, 2018, officers with the Zachary Police Department were dispatched to an area on Highway 19 in reference to a suspicious vehicle. An anonymous caller advised that an unknown male was parked in an alley behind a party store. Upon arrival, officers approached the entrance of the alleyway and encountered Mills, who was the driver and sole occupant of a 2008 Honda Fit. Mills exited the vehicle and initially told officers that he was cleaning his car behind the buildings. He then advised he was using the internet to send emails. Mills presented officers with his Louisiana driver’s license, which indicated that he was a resident of Baton Rouge and a registered sex offender.

Because Mills initially told officers that he lived in Zachary but was registered as a sex offender in Baton Rouge, officers believed that he was possibly in violation of state sex offender registration laws. Mills was observed acting nervously when speaking with the officers. Despite officers requesting him to remain in front of one of the patrol vehicles as they attempted to verify his information, Mills was observed moving towards his vehicle and was ordered to return to the front of the patrol unit on three separate occasions. While officers were questioning him about the address discrepancy, they approached his vehicle and observed a laptop computer in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard and a USB storage device on the front passenger seat.

Officers initiated a criminal history check on Mills, which revealed he had a previous federal felony conviction for possession of child pornography in 2012. After learning this information, Mills was asked if he was on probation. He responded affirmatively, identified his probation officer and provided their contact information. Officers also verified that the 2008 Honda Fit was registered to Mills.

While on scene, officers contacted the probation officer and learned that Mills was in violation of his conditions of supervised release by possessing a computer and computer components such as USB storage devices. The probation officer requested that officers seize the electronic devices in his possession.

After securing Mills inside of the unit, officers recovered approximately nineteen electronic devices from his vehicle. The nineteen devices seized from Mills were sent to a forensic examiner with U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services for forensic analysis. The analysis revealed approximately 1,325 pictures and 6 videos depicting child exploitation images.

In 2013, Mills was sentenced to 62 months of imprisonment for his 2012 conviction for possession of child pornography.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Zachary Police Department, and U.S. Probation and Parole, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 https://www.justice.gov/PSC.

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Thanh Hoa Thi Bui, also known as Xena Bui, age 43, formerly of Valdosta, Georgia, to serve an additional twelve months in federal prison following her conviction for failing to surrender for service of a previously-imposed federal sentence. The Court further sentenced Bui to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.

Bui was previously convicted in 2024 of wire fraud and making unlawful monetary transactions. In that case, she was found to have embezzled more than $1.6 million from her employer, a small business located on North Sherwood Forest Drive in Baton Rouge, where she worked as a bookkeeper. Over a three-year period from September 2017 through November 2020, Bui used her access to the company’s bank account to make hundreds of fraudulent transactions, which she used (among other things) to pay the electricity and gas for a large chicken farm that she maintained in Mississippi and to make payments to a company in Covington, Louisiana, to which she owed money for real estate that she had purchased. Bui took extensive steps to conceal her scheme, and as she obtained proceeds from the scheme, she would quickly move the funds through her bank accounts, withdraw the funds in cash, and make other transactions, including at local casinos. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with valuable assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Police. 

U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Bui in November 2024 to serve 63 months in federal prison and to pay restitution of approximately $1.69 million to her victim. At the time of her sentencing, she was not in custody. Based on representations made by Bui to the Court regarding her health, the Court allowed her to remain released, subject to the existing conditions, but ordered her to surrender to the United States Bureau of Prisons to begin serving her sentence before 2:00 p.m. on February 10, 2025.

When Bui did not report to prison as ordered, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) immediately initiated an investigation into her whereabouts. On February 26, 2025, she was charged in a criminal complaint with failing to surrender for service of her sentence. On March 20, 2025, the USMS located Bui at a casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrested her.  A few days later, she was charged in an indictment with failure to surrender. In September 2025, Bui pled guilty to the new charge, and the sentence imposed today, by law, will run consecutive to the existing 63-month federal prison sentence from the previous case.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel.

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jostin Antonio Orellana-Romero, age 22, a citizen and national of Honduras, and Edenilson Alexander Castaneda-Del Valle, age 18, a citizen and national of El Salvador, both aliens removable from the United States, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the Indictment, on or about February 7, 2026, deputies with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop along Interstate 12 of a vehicle being operated by Orellana-Romero and Castaneda-Del Valle. During a search of the vehicle, a hidden compartment was located, along with two digital scales, numerous rubber bands, plastic baggies, approximately $7,100 in U.S. currency, and approximately 164 kilograms, or over 361 pounds, of a mixture containing methamphetamine.

If convicted, Orellana-Romero and Castaneda-Del Valle each face a minimum of ten years and up to life imprisonment, a significant period of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. They are also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completion of their sentences.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.

An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea. 

United States Attorney Kurt Wall announced the sentencing of Michael D. Nelson, age 56 of Independence, Louisiana, in connection with an extensive federal, state, and local investigation aimed at a large-scale cocaine and heroin trafficking network based in East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes.

U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles sentenced Nelson to 235 months in federal prison following his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. The Court further sentenced Nelson to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In imposing Nelson’s prison term, the Court found that from approximately July 2017 through February 2018, Nelson ran a drug trafficking business and, pending trial, obstructed justice, made false statements to law enforcement, and threatened a witness. In total, the Court found Nelson responsible for ten kilograms of cocaine and over 280 grams of methamphetamine.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Nelson was associated with Travis James, who led a group of co-conspirators, namely Troy James, Joshua Mansion, Kim Murphy, Yascia LaFrance, Belinda Carter, Cornelius Carter, and others in a venture to obtain kilograms of cocaine from various sources in Houston, Texas, and transport said cocaine to stash houses located in Baton Rouge and Prairieville. Some amounts of cocaine were broken down for distribution to others, including Nelson, while other amounts were converted by James into crack cocaine for sale to others.

In many instances, the amounts transported by this group into the Middle District involved five or more kilograms of cocaine per trip. During this investigation, authorities seized and forfeited over $500,000 in drug trafficking proceeds from James as well as approximately eight firearms, two kilo presses, and heroin and cocaine testing kits. The investigation also revealed that James was making plans to branch out into heroin trafficking using the money he had accumulated from the sale of crack and powder cocaine. He was planning to commence that enterprise by purchasing a kilogram of heroin.

Chief Judge Dick previously sentenced seven other individuals in connection with this scheme. Travis R. James, age 42, of Port Allen, Louisiana, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and one or more kilograms of heroin. The Court further sentenced James to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

Troy James, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin. The Court further sentenced James to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

Joshua Mansion, age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. The Court further sentenced Mansion to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

Kim Murphy, age 61, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. The Court further sentenced Murphy to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

Yascia LaFrance, age 45, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison following her conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. The Court further sentenced LaFrance to serve four years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.

Cornelius Carter, age 36, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to obtain, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and one or more kilograms of heroin and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. The Court further sentenced Carter to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

Belinda Carter, age 41, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 19 months in federal prison following her conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Court further sentenced Carter to serve two years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.

This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baton Rouge comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge City Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Other agencies also assisted in apprehending the defendants, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the Sheriffs’ Offices in Ascension, Iberville, and West Baton Rouge Parishes. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert W. Piedrahita and Lyman E. Thornton III.

United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Jeremiah D. Jackson, age 22, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 60 months in federal prison following his convictions for distribution of fentanyl and possession and transfer of machine guns. The Court further sentenced Jackson to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited. 

According to admissions made during his plea, on January 30, 2024, Jackson met with an undercover agent in the parking lot of Spring Hill Suites located at 7980 Howell Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and distributed fentanyl pills and machinegun conversion devices for both Glock-style pistols and AR-15 platform firearms to the undercover agent. In total, Jackson is responsible for at least 10,000 fentanyl pills weighing approximately one kilogram, 19 machine gun conversion devices, and three firearms.    

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Baton Rouge Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.