Western District of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Chico Terrell Bell, 41, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 112 months (9 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Bell pleaded guilty to the charge on October 14, 2021. According to information presented in court, law enforcement agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant on September 2, 2020 at Bell’s home in Shreveport. Bell was found inside the home and had one bag of methamphetamine, methamphetamine tablets, and a large sum of cash on his person. A search of the residence resulted in the recovery of two digital scales, nine bags of methamphetamine tablets containing approximately 914 tablets, two additional bags containing approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine, and a bag containing 9mm ammunition.

This case was investigated by the DEA and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Shamariay Duntae Locke, 36, of Haughton, Louisiana, has been sentenced on drug conspiracy and drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. Chief United States District Court S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Locke today to 48 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Locke was the lead defendant in a case which was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2020 in connection with the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation: “Hustle City.” On September 20, 2021, Locke pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana, and two counts of distribution of marijuana. The charges stemmed from a long-term investigation by law enforcement officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other federal and local agencies into the distribution and selling of marijuana and methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City area.

Through their investigation, DEA agents received information that Locke and other co-defendants were possessing and distributing large quantities of marijuana to individuals in the north part of Shreveport. On two occasions in September 2017, agents observed Locke meet an individual in the parking lot of a local business parking lot and instruct him to get into another vehicle. On both occasions, they then drove to another location and the individual obtained from Locke approximately 3,915 grams of marijuana the first time, and 5,155 grams of marijuana the second time. However, at the sentencing hearing, the court found that these two instances were not the extent of Locke’s involvement in illegal drug distribution during the charged conspiracy which ran at least from January 2016 to August 2020.

Ladarrell Cortrell Washington and Schyler Algernon Smith were also charged in connection with this case and have each pleaded guilty. Sentencing for Smith has been set for April 5, 2022 at 2:00. Washington’s sentencing will be April 6, 2022 at 2:00.

Other defendants who were previously convicted and sentenced in connection with this case are as follows:

• Jeremy Richard Francis;
• Robert Lynn Baulkman;
• Danny Glen Roy Welch;
• Frank Gilford Joshua;
• Michael Shane Haynes;
• Henry A. Wright; and
• Arnelius Danta Terrell.

Rico DeAngelo Lawrence is the only remaining defendant charged in this case and is currently a fugitive. Lawrence is aware that he is wanted and should be considered as armed and dangerous and should not be approached by non-law enforcement. Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Lawrence, please contact Shreveport DEA Office at 318-676-4080 or the U.S. Marshal’s Service Violent Offender Task Force by contacting their office at 318-934-4300 or by using their online tip portal at: www.usmarshals.gov/tips.

Federal agencies including DEA, Department of Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, all worked jointly with the Louisiana State Police, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, in conducting this investigation. The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Marie Kemp, 58, of Benton, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to spend 30 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced.  Kemp was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $50,000 and restitution in the amount of $1,069,609 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In addition, Kemp was permanently enjoined from the preparation of tax returns for anyone other than herself.

Marie Kemp was indicted by a federal grand jury on tax fraud charges in March 2018. She pleaded guilty on October 4, 2021, to making and subscribing a false tax return. Kemp worked in the tax return preparation business for approximately 20 years. In 2008, she opened Marie’s Tax Service with locations in Bossier City, Minden, and Ringgold, Louisiana, and was the sole proprietor.

Marie’s Tax Service prepared and submitted client tax returns electronically to the IRS. Kemp earned over $3 million in gross receipts for fees charged for the preparation and filing of client’s individual tax returns during the tax years 2011 and 2012 from her tax preparation business. Kemp did not register her business as a corporation with the IRS until 2018 and therefore, the business income of her tax preparation business should have flowed into her personal income tax return reportable on Schedule C.

Kemp personally prepared and electronically filed her 2011 and 2012 U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, Forms 1040, with the IRS and underreported her business income. Kemp reported false figures in total gross receipts for her tax preparation business on Schedule C and losses and income on her Form 1040. These false amounts which she reported on her return were substantially lower than what the actual amounts were. Kemp’s 2012 tax return did not include a Schedule C for her tax preparation services business and false amounts were reported on Form 1040.  

According to evidence presented in court, Kemp only reported taxable income in the amount of $1,819 for tax year 2011, when in truth and in fact, her taxable income was $1,604,208. For the tax year 2012, Kemp did not report any income from her tax preparation business, when in fact she knew that her taxable income should have been $1,632,795. Because of her false reporting, Kemp owes taxes for years 2011 and 2012 in the amount of $1,069,609.

"Tax season is upon us, and this case should be a strong reminder that all citizens are subject to tax laws and should abide by them,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Whether you are a paid tax preparer or one who files your own taxes, we must all adhere to the tax laws of the United States. This office will continue to work with the IRS to deter this type of criminal activity in the Western District of Louisiana.”

“Today's sentencing of Marie Kemp again emphasizes the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney’s office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who use fraudulent methods in an attempt to corrupt our nation's tax system,” said James E. Dorsey, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office. “Honest taxpayers have been reassured today that no one is above the law--especially when the integrity of tax administration is at stake.”

This case was investigated by the IRS – Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary J. Mudrick and Mike Shannon.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Aaron St. Pierre, 27, of Montz, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Joseph H.L. Perez-Montes to 5 years of unsupervised probation and a $4,550 fine for hunting violations.  St. Pierre’s hunting privileges were suspended for 5 years, and he is banned from all National Wildlife Refuges for the duration of his suspension period.

St. Pierre pleaded guilty on March 16, 2022 to several wildlife violations, including hunting in a closed area, unlawful taking of a Whitetail deer, use of trail cameras, distribution and hunting over bait, and litter in a National Wildlife Refuge. These charges stemmed from an investigation into illegal hunting activity in a closed area on Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, from December 2021 through January 2022.  

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Wildlife Officers and Wildlife Canine Team, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that John Matthew Tatum, 45, of Converse, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 63 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy in Sabine Parish between August 2020 and May 2021.

Tatum pleaded guilty on November 18, 2021 to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, following an investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office.

On May 6, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant upon Tatum’s residence and located a safe containing approximately 413 net grams of pure methamphetamine. Also found in Tatum’s possession were 22 firearms, including a stolen handgun inside his vehicle, and cash proceeds from drug sales.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cadesby B. Cooper and Mike Shannon.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Lynn D. Cawthorne, 55, a former Caddo Parish Commissioner, and his sister and co-defendant, Belena C. Turner, 50, both of Shreveport, Louisiana, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for committing wire fraud. 

Cawthorne was sentenced to 46 months in prison for committing wire fraud and 36 months in prison for committing tax fraud, both to run concurrently. He will serve 3 years of supervised release following his release from prison. In addition, Cawthorne was ordered to pay $58,183.95 in restitution to the IRS.

Turner was sentenced to 46 months in prison for committing wire fraud, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

In addition, Cawthorne and Turner were ordered to jointly pay restitution in the amount of $837,690.01 to USDA.

Cawthorne and Turner each pleaded guilty on November 5, 2021, to wire fraud charges in connection with their involvement in a scheme to defraud the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which administers the Child Nutrition Programs. Cawthorne also pleaded guilty to a charge of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false tax return in connection with a separate indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury against him in December 2019.

The Child Nutrition Programs administered by the USDA include the Summer Feeding Service Program (SFSP). The SFSP was established to ensure that children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session during the summer. In Louisiana, the SFSP is administered by the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) Division of Nutrition Support. Meals are prepared and served by SFSP sponsors who are required to follow rules and regulations issued by the USDA and LDOE.  

To participate in the SFSP, sponsors are required to submit a “sponsor application” that includes, among other things, a budget estimating revenues and expenses related to the feeding program. Sponsors are also required to submit a “site application” listing the physical address where meals will be served. In the application, sponsors agree to oversee the administration of SFSP at each approved site. Based on guidelines published by the USDA, LDOE regulations require sponsors to maintain certain records, including but not limited to, daily site records documenting the number of Eligible Meals served to Eligible Persons. Sponsors are reimbursed for expenses after electronically submitting claims to LDOE certifying that each claim is true and accurate. Sponsors can also receive an advance of funds to help pay approved expenses. 

From 2011 to 2014, Cawthorne and Turner caused their non-profit corporation, United Citizens and Neighborhoods, Inc. (UCAN) to participate in the SFSP. After the discovery of discrepancies by the LDOE, an investigation ensued utilizing multiple agencies. The investigation revealed that Cawthorne and Turner received $1,015,123.54 in claims paid by the LDOE for the SFSP; however, only $56,351.53 was actually spent on food during the 2011 through 2014 time period causing an actual loss of $987,919.72.  As part of their sentence, Cawthorne and Turner will be required to pay $837,690.01 in restitution.

In connection with the tax fraud charge, Cawthorne admitted to hiring a tax return preparer to prepare his 2013 tax return and admitted that he assisted in the preparation of his tax return for the 2013 tax year. Cawthorne received income from Harvest Catering that he failed to report, and he fraudulently reported an adjusted gross income of $7,555 during the 2013 calendar year. Cawthorne knew the statement in his 2013 tax return was false and filed the 2013 tax return on or about April 15, 2014, knowing that it contained false information, in that the amount of his income was higher. In relation to his tax fraud charge, Cawthorne will be required to pay $58,183.95 in restitution.

“These programs were created to provide meals to children in low-income areas during the summer months,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Instead of providing services to the children who needed it most, these defendants took advantage of them and in turn added money to their own pocketbooks. It’s a sad day when we cannot put our complete trust in community leaders who have promised to help mankind and those in need, but instead choose to cheat the system in order to benefit themselves. This is not the first instance of this type of fraud involving USDA child nutrition programs in this district in recent years. As in years past, our women and men at the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who commit criminal acts to take advantage of the ‘least of these’ in our community for personal gain.”

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Lynn D. Cawthorne and Belena C. Turner who brazenly steal from children in need will be held accountable. Mr. Cawthorne and Ms. Turner, out of personal greed, committed fraud against the USDA Summer Foods Service Program which is designed to provide nutritious meals to children in low-income areas during the summer when school is not in session,” said FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr.  “We thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Office of State Inspector General, State of Louisiana, and the Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture.”

Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “The federal prison sentences imposed today upon Lynn Cawthorne and Belena Turner are entirely appropriate in light of their brazen theft of well over $800,000 of taxpayer funds intended to feed hungry children. We are hopeful that these significant jail sentences will send the message that such callous disregard for the welfare of children can never be tolerated.”  Street added, “I want to thank United States Attorney Brandon Brown and his staff for their usual outstanding work, as well as our partners at the FBI, IRS and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.”

“Honest and law abiding citizens are fed up with the likes of those who use deceit and fraud to line their pockets with other people’s money,” said Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Cawthorne was positioned to service the community but instead took government funds to satisfy his personal desires. Individuals who engage in financial fraud should know they will not go undetected and will be held accountable.”

The Louisiana Office of the State Inspector General, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, USDA-OIG and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown, First Assistant Alexander C. Van Hook, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.

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MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Fazon Davis, 25, of Winnsboro, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 240 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for production of child pornography.

Davis was indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography on November 22, 2021. According to information presented in court at the hearing, on March 25, 2019, a 16-year-old female went to a medical center in New Orleans, Louisiana and alleged that she had been sexually assaulted and trafficked by an individual in New Orleans. Staff at the medical center reported the allegations to the Louisiana State Police and they began an investigation. During their investigation, law enforcement agents examined the victim’s Facebook account and content and found sexually explicit messages and communications between the victim and Davis on the account. Agents obtained a search warrant for Davis’s Facebook account and discovered sexually explicit communications and content between Davis and the victim.

Davis was interviewed by agents on May 24, 2020, and he acknowledged that he and the victim had exchanged messages and content but denied having sex with the victim. However, agents obtained a search warrant for his cell phone and discovered multiple videos of Davis and the victim having sex. Through technology available to law enforcement, they learned that the videos were produced on March 16, 2019, at a residential area in Monroe, Louisiana.

This case was investigated by the FBI, Louisiana State Police and Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell.

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MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation dubbed “Operation Kutt Off” has resulted in the conviction of nine individuals, either by a plea of guilty or conviction at trial, for their involvement in drug trafficking in the Western District of Louisiana. Eight of the defendants have been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty. Those defendants and their sentences are as follows:

DeLewis Johnson, IV, 46, of West Covina, California, was convicted at trial of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 405 months (33 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Roy Lee Jones, Jr., 46, of Grambling, Louisiana, was convicted at trial of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 210 months (16 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Willie Todd Harris, Jr., 47, of Ruston, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 228 months (19 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.

Justin Randall Goss, 31, of Quitman, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 216 months (18 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Curavious Omarion Deshun Harrell, 30, of Jonesboro, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 104 months (8 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Rodney Ceasar, 53, of Jonesboro, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug premises and was sentenced to 60 months (5 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Adriene Denise Ceasar, 57, of Jonesboro, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug premises and was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release.

Meshach Demontez Conley, 31, of Jonesboro, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 38 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

These defendants conspired together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Winn Parish and Jackson Parish, Louisiana. In April 2019, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began investigating the illegal drug trafficking activities in this area and were able to obtain approval to wiretap the phones of Harris and Jones. Through their investigation, agents learned that Johnson, who lived in California, would obtain bulk quantities of methamphetamine from Mexican suppliers and would then send those drugs to Jones and Harris.  Harris would then distribute the methamphetamine to other individuals to sell and distribute, including Goss and Harrell.  Law enforcement officers conducted undercover purchases of methamphetamine from Johnson, Harris, Goss, and Harrell. The purchased narcotics were sent to the crime lab and analyzed and determined to in fact be methamphetamine. Agents were also able to intercept phone calls between Johnson, Jones and other co-conspirators wherein they communicated about the selling and purchasing of methamphetamine.

Rodney Ceasar and his wife, Adriene, stored distribution quantities of the methamphetamine for Harris at their home in Jonesboro.  Agents were able to intercept phone calls wherein Harris and both Ceasars discussed distributing or selling the narcotics.

In addition, on December 17, 2019, agents intercepted phone calls wherein Johnson discussed shipping a package containing one pound of methamphetamine via overnight mail. Johnson instructed the individual to wire money to him in exchange for the drugs but in another person’s name. Undercover agents sent the money via Western Union as instructed. After receiving payment, Johnson sent a text message containing the shipping information. On December 19, 2019, agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service located the package at a facility in Shreveport and executed a search warrant on the package. Inside was approximately one pound of methamphetamine.

Chadreck Carter, 34, of Jonesboro, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and will be sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell at a later date.

This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Louisiana State Police, Jackson Parish Sheriff's Office, Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police Department, and LPNet. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cytheria D. Jernigan and Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case. 

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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MONROE, La. - Darryl Andrea Williams, 59, of Monroe, Louisiana was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 144 months (12 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

An investigation by agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) determined that between October 2018 and March 2020, Williams conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute at least 150 grams but not less than 500 grams of methamphetamine. The organization that Williams was a part of would arrange for methamphetamine to be sent to Monroe area via couriers, sending approximately 1-1.5 kilos of methamphetamine at a time. Once in Monroe, Williams would then pick up the narcotics from the couriers and take it to one of his co-conspirators who would break it up and then give it to Williams with instructions on where to deliver it.  Law enforcement agents were able to get approval for a wiretap on Williams’ phone and intercepted numerous phone calls wherein they discussed the sale and purchase of the narcotics.

This case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian C. Flanagan and J. Aaron Crawford.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - William Malone, 46, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced today after having been convicted by a jury in October 2021 on child exploitation charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Malone to 160 years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Malone was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $206,580.80.

Malone was charged on October 7, 2020, by a federal grand jury in Lafayette with five counts of production of child pornography, one count of use of a facility to cause a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of possession of child pornography.

Evidence presented at the trial in Lafayette in October 2021 showed that Malone lived in Mobile, Alabama and worked as the captain of a maritime vessel that traveled out of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. Law enforcement officers with the Mobile Police Department and Child Advocacy Center began an investigation after they received complaints that Malone had sexually abused a female under the age of 12 years old. The minor victim’s mother reported the allegations after learning from her daughter that Malone had been sexually abusing her.

Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a forensic examination of the minor victim’s cell phone and found evidence that Malone had texted the minor victim and asked her to send him pictures and videos of herself naked and other sexually explicit images of herself. Agents also executed a search warrant onboard the vessel where Malone was working, for his laptop computer and cell phone. During a review of Malone’s laptop computer and cell phone, agents found the sexually explicit images that the minor victim had told law enforcement officers she sent to Malone at his request. Malone was subsequently arrested and charged.

“The crimes committed by this defendant are shameful,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “This defendant took advantage of the minor victim in this case who looked up to and trusted him. Instead of respecting that trust she had in him, he tried to intimidate her into staying quiet about the things he was doing to her which were incomprehensible. He showed no remorse for the awful acts he did. But this minor victim had the courage to tell someone what he did to her and today, she stood victorious knowing that he will never hurt another victim in this way again. We will continue to fight for victims who are forever scarred by guilty defendants like this.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and Mobile, Alabama Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Luke Walker and Craig R. Bordelon, II.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - Austin Alan Hall, 40, of Henderson, Texas, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 27 months in prison, plus a special condition that he serve an additional 6 months in a halfway house, for interstate transmission of extortionate communications.

According to information presented in court, on March 17, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Shreveport received a phone call from an individual who identified himself as Austin Alan Hall and asked to speak to an agent. He was forwarded to the FBI’s Public Access Line. Shortly thereafter, Hall called back to the FBI Shreveport office and stated that he did not want to be disrespectful but that he needed to speak to an agent and not a recording. Hall went on to say that judges had kept his daughter from him, and he was going to take care of them. He then stated he needed to speak to an agent in the next ten minutes or he was going to take care of the judges. Hall was asked, “You said you are going to take care of the judges?” and he responded, “that’s what I said.” At that point, an FBI agent took the phone.

Hall went on to describe himself to the agent as being a physically large individual and that he would take out a judge, and that he was disoriented. Hall stated to the agent, “If I need to say I will go after judges to speak to someone, I will do it.” The FBI agent asked Hall if he was threatening the judges in order to be heard, or if he really intended to hurt someone. Hall responded with “I plead the Fifth.” Hall then told the agent he was going back to Cincinnati and would give the FBI time to investigate Judge Dean and Hall’s parents. A criminal complaint was obtained, and Hall was arrested based on these threatening communications.

This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Seven members of a drug trafficking conspiracy were recently sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., with the lead defendant having been sentenced today, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

Demetrius DeAngelo Hall, 37, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Hall’s co-defendants and their sentences are as follows:

Steve Mireles, 41, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

John R. Wilson, 50, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Larry Nichols, 48, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 77 months (6 years, 5 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Aaron McKinney, 40, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Bland Mouncil, 57, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Nolan Washington, 35, of Bossier City, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

From March 1, 2019, and continuing until on or about December 31, 2019, each of these defendants were involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy and pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing methamphetamine in the Caddo and Bossier Parish areas. Law enforcement officers began an investigation into their illegal drug trafficking activities and were able to obtain a court ordered wiretap on Hall’s cell phone. Through numerous intercepted communications, agents learned that Hall was obtaining his methamphetamine from multiple sources, including from Steve Mireles in Texas. Hall transported the narcotics himself or through a courier to the Shreveport area where he would distribute the methamphetamine to his co-defendants. Hall met individuals at various locations throughout the Shreveport and Bossier area.

During the investigation, on October 21, 2019, law enforcement agents intercepted phone calls and text messages between Hall and his co-conspirators indicating that Hall was traveling to Texas to obtain more methamphetamine from Mireles. During these intercepted calls, Aaron McKinney was heard discussing a request for more drugs with Hall. Upon Hall’s and his co-conspirator, Bland Mouncil’s return from Texas, officers initiated a traffic stop. Mouncil then fled from law enforcement throwing the methamphetamine out the window. A high-speed pursuit with Mouncil began. During the pursuit, Mouncil called Hall and informed him he had thrown the methamphetamine out the window. Law enforcement was able to recover the drugs. Hall was later arrested on November 7, 2019, and he pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. McKinney later admitted to law enforcement agents that he was buying and selling methamphetamine from Hall.

Larry Nichols participated in numerous phone calls with Hall in which they discussed various amounts of drugs, prices, and meeting locations, as well as making arrangements for Nichols to provide Hall with various amounts of drugs. On October 15, 2019, Nichols was found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle and was arrested by law enforcement officers. A search of the stolen vehicle revealed a clear plastic bag containing marijuana and methamphetamine. The seized methamphetamine was sent to the crime lab for analysis and determined to have a net weight of at least 5 grams or more.

Calls were also intercepted between Hall, Nolan Washington and John Wilson wherein they discussed the purchasing and selling of methamphetamine. Hall met with both Washington and Wilson at different times to conduct drug transactions. Through their surveillance, DEA agents observed both Washington and Wilson meet Hall to obtain the drugs. On November 5, 2019, agents observed Wilson get into Hall’s vehicle for a brief time, exit, and walk back to his vehicle. Agents followed Wilson and an officer conducted a traffic stop of his vehicle. A search was conducted, and the same amount of methamphetamine was found in the vehicle that they had discussed in the intercepted phone call. Wilson admitted to purchasing methamphetamine from Hall numerous times.

The two remaining defendants in this conspiracy, Michael C. Francis and David Williams, have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. 

This case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Greenwood Police Department, and Louisiana State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille Gilreath and Allison Duncan.

This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced today in United States District Court for distributing methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Frank Gilford Joshua, IV, 34, to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Joshua was indicted, along with eight other co-defendants, by a federal grand jury in September 2020 and charged with drug trafficking. On September 20, 2021, he pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Those charges stemmed from an investigation by law enforcement officers with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into the distribution and selling of methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. On three specific occasions in July and August of 2018 and again in January of 2019, agents were able to intercept Joshua’s phone calls and conducted surveillance and observed him sell methamphetamine to individuals after making arrangement to do so over the phone.

The case was investigated by the DEA and was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

This case is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Rolando Olvera-Garcia, 32, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays to 18 months in prison, for illegally possessing a firearm.  Olvera-Garcia is a native and citizen of Mexico and had illegally entered the United States.

On June 9, 2021, deputies with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a residence in Duson, Louisiana, where a Hispanic male, who was later identified as Olvera-Garcia, was found sleeping in the complainant’s laundry room. When deputies arrived at the residence, they found Olvera-Garcia to be in possession of a .40 caliber handgun and a small amount of narcotics.

Approximately one month later, on July 4, 2021, deputies were dispatched again to a residence with the complaint of a Hispanic male shooting a gun. Upon arrival, they determined that Olvera-Garcia was the individual who was shooting the gun. Deputies obtained a search warrant and found a .22 caliber revolver hidden between the couch cushions in his living room.  Olvera-Garcia was arrested and interviewed by law enforcement officers, and he admitted to purchasing the firearm off the street and firing the shots on the July 4th weekend.  Olvera-Garcia admitted that he knew he was an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States. Agents also learned that he had previously been removed from the United States on two occasions, November 25, 2017, and October 18, 2018.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - Samuel Holbert Brumfield a/k/a “Sammy B,” 35, of Many, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. Brumfield was sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges.

An indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on June 16, 2021 charging Brumfield with three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Brumfield pleaded guilty to a charge of distribution of methamphetamine on September 28, 2021.

According to evidence presented to the court at the guilty plea hearing, law enforcement agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began an investigation in early 2021 in connection with the trafficking of methamphetamine in the Sabine Parish, Louisiana area.  Agents were able to identify Brumfield as the individual who sold approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine to another individual in the Sabine Parish area on April 26, 2021. The methamphetamine that was purchased from Brumfield was seized and taken to the crime lab where it was tested and confirmed to be methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two defendants were sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell in two separate cases.

Gregory Leonard Jones, Jr., 46, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit his interest in the firearms seized at the time of his arrest. On June 22, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence where Jones resided. During the search, officers recovered firearms and ammunition that Jones was not allowed to have in his possession. Jones has previous felony convictions for possession of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2007), aggravated battery (2001), criminal damage and simple burglary (1996), and possession of stolen goods (1994).

The case was investigated by the ATF and Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.

In an unrelated case, Levar Washington, 42, who is a federal inmate, was sentenced to 160 months in prison, to run consecutive to any sentence he is presently serving or yet to serve, for assaulting a correctional officer. Washington was previously sentenced in 2008 in the Central District of California to 22 years in federal prison for conspiring to levy war against the United States through terrorism and using and carrying a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.

The charges in this case stem from an incident involving Washington in October 2020 at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Pollock, Louisiana. A correctional officer attempted to stop Washington as he walked through the metal detector when he was returning to the housing unit from the recreational yard.  Rather than stop as he was ordered to do, Washington removed an approximately 11-inch metal prison shank that he had concealed within his waistband, quickly turned around, and attacked that correctional officer, stabbing him multiple times about his arms and chest. Several correctional officers responded to the scene with pepper spray, eventually tackling Washington and securing him in restraints.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Kevondric Fezia, 26, of Houston, Texas, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Lafayette on sex trafficking charges. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. presided over the trial. 

An indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on April 22, 2021, charging Fezia and his co-defendant, Calista Jenee Winfrey, 23, of Orange, Texas. The indictment charged Fezia and Winfrey both with one count of sex trafficking, and Fezia with one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in prostitution. Winfrey entered a guilty plea prior to the trial.

The trial began this week and after deliberating for a short time yesterday afternoon, a federal jury in Lafayette found Fezia guilty on both counts. Testimony at the trial revealed that beginning in November 2020, Fezia was recruiting minor females to engage in prostitution and began communicating with a 14-year-old female in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Fezia was well aware when he began communicating with her that she was a minor, but he still pursued her and tried to convince her that she would make a lot of money by engaging in prostitution for him. The minor victim made a decision to run away with Fezia to Texas and on February 13, 2021, he drove his Mercedes Benz and picked up the minor victim and took her to Texas. Winfrey and Fezia both were well aware that the victim was only 14 years old, but they continued to try and convince her to engage in prostitution.

Both defendants traveled with the minor victim to a hotel in Beaumont, Texas and introduced her to another prostitute that was working for Fezia who was 16 years old. Winfrey engaged in multiple acts of prostitution in the presence of the minor victim at the hotel, continually trying to convince the minor victim that she should also engage in prostitution. Fezia took photographs of both minor girls and the other prostitutes he was employing and posted them on his Instagram account as an advertisement, along with a visible geo tag showing those who saw the advertisement where to go to engage in sexual acts with the girls.

When the minor victim’s grandmother realized that she had run away from home, she began looking at the child’s social media accounts and found the communications between her granddaughter and Fezia. She then contacted law enforcement. Law enforcement officers were able to identify Fezia and found him at his apartment in Houston, Texas, along with other prostitutes and the minor victim. He attempted to hide her in the closet, but she and the other 16-year-old prostitute were found.

Fezia and Winfrey each face a maximum sentence of life in prison, not less than 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. 

Sentencing for Fezia and Winfrey has been scheduled for June 23, 2022, at 9:00. 

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Lake Charles Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Luke Walker and John W. Nickel.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Daniel Glenn Smith, 20, of Homer, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Mark Hornsby to spend 30 days in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for the unlawful possession of a bald eagle feather.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries learned that Smith had been photographed with a dead bald eagle and began an investigation. Agents executed a search warrant on Smith’s vehicle and recovered a feather that belonged to the slaughtered bald eagle. When interviewed after the search, Smith admitted that he killed the bald eagle and then kept a feather from it.

“The American Bald Eagle is a symbol of our American freedom,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “This defendant did not take this symbol seriously, nor the laws that prohibit anyone from killing or possessing even a feather of a bald eagle. These laws were created to protect our wildlife and we will continue to prosecute individuals who abuse those laws.”

Smith had previously been placed on probation and ordered not to possess a firearm for one year, as a result of hunting violations involving other wildlife.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Trevor Istre, 22, of Jennings, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to 5 years of unsupervised probation and a $3,000 fine for taking migratory birds with the aid of a motor vehicle, taking migratory birds during a closed season, and taking migratory birds in violation of state law. As part of his probation, Istre’s hunting, and fishing privileges were suspended for 3 years. Three other individuals involved in the illegal activity were previously fined a total of $2,470.   

The trial for Istre on the aforementioned wildlife violations was set to begin February 10, 2022, but Istre pleaded guilty to those violations on the day of his trial.  The charges stemmed from an investigation into illegal hunting activity on Mardi Gras day, February 16, 2021 when a Wildlife Officer from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s K9 team encountered a group of individuals shooting geese from a state highway on private property. The subjects fled from the area and avoided apprehension that day. Agents began an investigation into their illegal hunting activities and located spent shotgun shell casings and apprehended one crippled goose that day. Their investigation continued and the violators were identified, four of which were repeat offenders with histories of wildlife violations in state and federal courts on Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge. In total, 29 geese that were illegally taken were seized.  

Istre previously pleaded guilty to federal wildlife violations at the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in December 2019 and had state wildlife violations in November and December 2019 and had already paid $3,904 in fines to multiple jurisdictions for hunting violations since he had become an adult.

“Hunting violations are cases that our office takes very seriously,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “The hunting laws were created for the protection of our wildlife, and we will continue to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to hold those who break those laws accountable for their actions.”

“Our Federal Wildlife Officers, and Canines, take Migratory Bird enforcement seriously in the Mississippi Flyway.  Restricting hunting and fishing privileges has proven to be the most effective deterrent for the protection of wild game species and public lands in Sportsman’s Paradise.  Courts in the Western District of Louisiana have echoed that message, and the public wins when these types of sentences are imposed,” said Steven Strader, Patrol Captain for the USFWS Division of Refuge Law Enforcement, Louisiana District.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Canine Team, investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Deborah Cooksey, 56, of Minden, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 24 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for filing false tax returns.  Cooksey was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $547,043.

Deborah Cooksey was indicted in March 2021 and on September 22, 2021, pleaded guilty to one count of filing false tax returns. Cooksey was the owner and operator of Cooksey’s Tax and Notary Services, LLC, in Minden, Louisiana, whose primary business was the preparation and electronic filing of individual income tax returns. She received all fees from the preparation and filing of client’s individual tax returns into a business account under the name of Cooksey’s Tax and Notary Services. Cooksey did not report all fees earned from the preparation and filing of client’s individual tax returns during the tax years 2013 and 2014. On April 15, 2015, Cooksey personally prepared and electronically filed her 2013 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040, which was verified by a written declaration that it was made under penalties of perjury with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). She reported Schedule C income of $522,662 on her 2013 Form 1040 tax return. These gross receipts and income reported on her Schedule C were false and in truth and in fact, Cooksey knew her true Schedule C gross income for 2013 was $1,356,682. Because Cooksey understated her gross receipts and income on her Schedule C, there are taxes due and owing for 2013.

As part of her plea agreement, Cooksey agreed to be permanently enjoined from preparing, assisting, advising, or counseling in the preparation of, or filing federal tax returns for anyone other than herself. She is also prohibited from maintaining any association with a tax preparation business, instructing, teaching or otherwise training any person in the preparation of federal tax returns.

The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary J. Mudrick and Mike Shannon.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a federal jury seated in Lafayette, Louisiana, has returned a guilty verdict against Morgan Lyons, 42, of Jennings, Louisiana on firearms and drug possession charges.

United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. presided over the trial, which began Monday, February 7, 2022. Lyons was charged in October 2019 in a superseding indictment and was found guilty last night of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.

Testimony at trial this week revealed that on May 5, 2016, law enforcement officers with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Combined Anti-Drug Task Force, the Louisiana State Police and the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, using a cooperating witness, did a controlled delivery of marijuana to a residence in which Morgan Lyons resided. Shortly after the controlled delivery, officers executed a search warrant of the residence and located approximately 43 ounces of cocaine, a ledger book, 4 digital scales, $36,020, an AR-15 assault rifle, a Ruger 9mm firearm, and a large box of assorted ammunition, as well as numerous documents in the name of Morgan Lyons.

Lyons has a prior felony conviction for possession of cocaine, and a prior conviction for possession of over 400 grams of cocaine, as well as multiple violent felony arrests. For these federal convictions, he faces a sentence of not less than 5 years nor more than 40 years in prison on the drug possession charge, up to 10 years in prison on each firearms charge, not less than 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5,000,000. In addition, Lyons will forfeit the $36,020 which was seized.

Sentencing has been scheduled for June 23, 2022.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Luke Walker and Craig R. Bordelon.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jarvis Pierre, 38, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. on federal firearms charges. Pierre was found guilty by a federal jury in May 2021 after a week-long trial of two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Pierre was sentenced today to 348 months (29 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on those charges. He was found to be an Armed Career Criminal based upon his criminal history and this sentence is a reflection of that enhancement.

Evidence introduced at the trial revealed that Pierre was stopped by law enforcement officers on two occasions for traffic violations. On October 7, 2018, deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fired call outside of the Cloud 9 night club in Lake Charles, Louisiana. When deputies arrived, the crowd began to disburse and many patrons left the parking lot. Deputies observed a vehicle that remained in the parking lot with the driver acting suspiciously. Law enforcement officers followed the vehicle once the driver left the parking lot and observed the vehicle drift from the lane of travel several times and conducted a traffic stop. Pierre was the driver of the vehicle and as deputies approached the vehicle, they detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. After a search of Pierre’s person, deputies found large amounts of cash, and a brown, powdery substance which was determined to contain heroin and fentanyl. While searching the vehicle further, deputies found a loaded FN57 handgun under the driver’s seat, as well as a loose 5.7mm round of ammunition, a rolled marijuana cigarette, and a baby bottle containing promethazine. Memo books containing writing that was determined to be prices for different amounts of narcotics with names and addresses were also found in the vehicle. The amount of cash found on Pierre’s person and in the vehicle totaled over $11,000.

When Pierre was stopped by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies for a traffic violation on December 27, 2018, they found him to have a loaded handgun between the driver’s seat and center console of his vehicle, along with marijuana on his person and in the vehicle, and two cellular phones. Deputies determined at that time that Pierre had an active warrant out of Texas stemming from a traffic stop in February 2018 in Pearland, Texas by officers with the Pearland Police Department. During the Pearland, Texas stop, law enforcement officers found a loaded 9mm handgun, over 400 oxycodone pills and $11,629 in cash, as well as 4 cellular telephones.

Pierre has previous felony convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (2001); distribution of cocaine (2002); and aggravated assault with a firearm (2013). It is illegal for individuals with a prior felony conviction to possess a firearm or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the ATF and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Vermaelen, John W. Nickel and J. Luke Walker.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Steven Marcus Kelley, 48, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 120 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, in connection with a murder-for-hire plot. The sentence handed down today was the maximum possible penalty under the law that Kelley could have received.

Kelley was convicted by a federal jury in October 2021, following a trial in United States District Court. He was found guilty of use of a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire. The charge stemmed from a letter that Kelley wrote while incarcerated at Ouachita Correctional Center (OCC) and awaiting trial for charges of rape and molestation. In the letter, Kelley tried to hire someone to kill his ex-wife, who is the mother of the victims in the sex crimes case.

Evidence introduced at the federal trial revealed that Kelley obtained the address of an individual in Monroe from another inmate at OCC and mailed the letter to that individual. Believing the individual who lived at that address would carry out the murder, Kelley offered “$10k for the job” for the individual to put “2 in the chest, 2 in the head” and to “make sure it counts.” Kelley drew a map in both blue and black ink of the area where his ex-wife worked.  In an effort to avoid the letter and crime being traced back to him, Kelley used another inmate’s name for the return address. He caused the letter to be mailed from OCC via the United States Postal Service.  

On the night of December 10, 2019, the individual who lived at the address to where Kelley mailed the letter received and read the contents of the letter. The letter provided a physical description of the victim, the vehicle she drove, where she worked and her normal schedule to arrive at work. The letter stated that it “HAS to look like a robbery.” Realizing that the letter was soliciting someone to commit a murder, the individual took the letter to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office the next morning. Law enforcement officers obtained surveillance video from OCC and the video revealed that on December 5, 2019, Kelley was sitting on his bed writing a letter.  Kelley can be seen in the video alternating between two different pens, which was consistent with the two ink colors used to draw the map.  Later that same day, Kelley can be seen taking an envelope into the cell of the inmate who provided the address of the hopeful hitman.  Kelley sat on the fellow inmate’s bed and addressed the letter.  Moments later, the inmate whose name Kelley used on the return address of the letter entered the cell and engaged in a conversation with Kelley and the other inmate. That evening, Kelley can be seen giving the letter to another inmate who in turns gives it to a correctional officer for mailing.   

On December 30, 2019, law enforcement officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the Pods at the OCC where Kelley was housed at the time of the incident. Deputies found in Kelley’s belongings a blue and black in pen. They found in the other inmate’s bunk the address of the individual to whom Kelley mailed the letter.

The case was investigated by the FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Leon H. Whitten.

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MONROE, La. – Two men from the Monroe, Louisiana area were sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty in separate cases on charges of illegal possession of firearms and drugs, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

Brent Thomas Chavers, 36, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 216 months (18 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Chavers pleaded guilty on October 18, 2021, to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The charges stem from two separate incidents involving Chavers. The first incident occurred on October 3, 2019, when a deputy with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle Chavers was driving for a traffic violation. When the deputy approached the vehicle, he observed a shotgun in the backseat in plain view. Chavers admitted to the deputy that he was a previously convicted felon, and he was arrested. After a search of the vehicle, the deputy found a bag in the front seat which contained methamphetamine. Chavers admitted to possessing the gun and drugs.

The second incident occurred on January 5, 2021, when deputies stopped Chavers for operating a four wheeler in the wrong lane of traffic. Deputies conducted a pat search and found methamphetamine in a clear plastic baggie in his waistband. He admitted to deputies that he had been driving around attempting to sell narcotics and was returning home. Deputies transported Chavers to his residence and after he consented, they searched the residence and found a safe inside his bedroom with more plastic bags containing methamphetamine, as well as other narcotics packaged for sale. Chavers admitted to possession of the methamphetamine to law enforcement officers.

In a separate and unrelated case, Dondurius Oshay Scott, 29, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 102 months (8 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On July 11, 2018, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle being driven by Scott for a traffic violation. Deputies observed a loaded pistol magazine on the front passenger seat, then saw a pistol on the ground near the front driver’s side tire. Scott admitted to being in possession of the firearm knowing that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from doing so. Scott has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit second degree murder in 2015.

These cases were investigated by the ATF and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Shannon and Leon H. Whitten.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that an Atlanta, Georgia man, who was an inmate serving time in the Georgia Department of Corrections at the time of his crimes, has pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy in the Western District of Louisiana. Andre Deaveon Reese, 32, entered his guilty plea before United States District Judge Donald E. Walter on January 28, 2022.

According to evidence presented to the court at the hearing, while serving time in the Autry State Prison (Autry) in Georgia in 2015, and continuing through July 2020, Reese participated in a scheme to defraud victims by telling them they had failed to appear for jury duty and a warrant had been issued for their arrest. To carry out this scheme, inmates used contraband cellular telephones from inside Autry to access internet websites to identify the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of potential fraud victims. Using the cellular telephones, inmates called the victims who name, and number had been obtained and made certain false misrepresentations to the victims. The inmates told the victims that they were law enforcement officials and that the victim had unlawfully failed to appear for jury duty. In addition, the victims were told that because they had failed to appear for jury duty, warrants had been issued for their arrest and the victim had a choice of being arrested on the warrant or pay a fine to have the arrest warrant dismissed.

To make the calls seem real, Reese, along with other inmates, created fictitious voicemail greetings on their contraband cellular telephones used by the inmates, identifying themselves as members of legitimate law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshal Service. For those victims who wanted to pay a fine, the inmates instructed them to purchase pre-paid cash cards and provide the account number of the cash card or the victim could wire money directly into a pre-paid debit card account held by the inmates or one of the co-conspirators. Based on these false representations, the victims electronically transferred money to the inmates because they believe that the funds would be used to pay the fine.

After a victim provided an inmate with the account number of the pre-paid cash card, the inmates then used their contraband cellular telephones to contact co-conspirators, who were not incarcerated, to have those individuals transfer the money from the cash card purchased by the victims to a pre-paid debit card possessed by the co-conspirators. The co-conspirators would then withdraw the victim’s money via an automated teller machine or at a retail store.

In August of 2016, two individuals, ages 75 and 78, living in the Western District of Louisiana, became victims of Reese’s scheme. The victims believed the callers, who were inmates posing as legitimate law enforcement officers, and followed their instructions to pay them to have the alleged warrants for their arrest for failing to appear for jury duty dismissed. An investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined that the two victims paid $9,797.95 to Reese and his co-conspirators.

“Unfortunately, there are individuals such as this defendant who have no shame in taking advantage of people who are trusting,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We encourage the public that when someone calls and gives you a story such as this to be cautious and contact your local law enforcement office to confirm that the story is true before you agree to pay any money to anyone. Our office will continue to investigate and pursue individuals who carry out these types of fraudulent schemes.”

Reese faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The sentencing hearing for Reese has been set for May 20, 2022. 

The case was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshal Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick.

The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a resource created by OVC for people to report fraud against anyone age 60 or older. Reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible, and within the first 2-3 days, can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open 7 days a week. For more information about the hotline please visit: https://stopelderfraud.ovc.ojp.gov/.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr., release the following statement in connection with the Ronald Greene investigation:

“The Department of Justice has an open and ongoing criminal investigation into the incident that resulted in the death of Ronald Greene.  The investigation is being handled by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), along with career prosecutors in the United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.  The investigation has been comprehensive and those conducting the investigation have followed all credible leads.  If the investigation reveals prosecutable violations of any federal criminal statutes, the Department will take appropriate action.  While the investigation continues, recent reporting citing sources suggesting that the FBI has questioned people about the awareness of certain facts by Governor John Bel Edwards is inaccurate.” 

MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown, along with Monroe Police Chief Vic Zordan, Ouachita Parish Sheriff Jay Russell, Ouachita Parish First Assistant District Attorney Holly Jones, and agents from the ATF, FBI, and DEA, held a press conference today to discuss their efforts to increase the investigation and prosecution of cases against violent criminals in the City of Monroe.

The Project Safe Neighborhoods program brings together all levels of law enforcement - federal, state, and local - and this community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Because of this program and joint efforts of the agencies represented here today and other law enforcement partners, we have brought hundreds of federal firearm prosecutions in the Western District of Louisiana since 2018 and our efforts are increasing. Below are some statistics:

• In FY18 through FY21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted approximately 461 defendants in firearm related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms, in the entire Western District of Louisiana. Those divisions include Monroe, Shreveport, Lafayette, Alexandria, and Lake Charles. That is nearly double the number of such cases brought in the previous four years.
• There were 47 firearm related cases brought in Monroe during that same time frame.
• Currently our office has 14 active cases involving illegal firearms in the Monroe Division alone.

These statistics show that we have been committed to prosecuting federal firearm cases and getting dangerous criminals off the streets of our cities and pledge to work even harder to bring these offenders to justice. Cooperation with our state and local law enforcement partners in bringing these federal firearms indictments allows our state and local partners to concentrate on other crimes in our district.

An example of cases we are prosecuting in federal court to combat these types of crimes is an indictment that was returned today by a federal grand jury charging Montrelle Jones, 20, of Monroe, with illegally possessing a firearm by a prohibited person, knowing that he was subject to a protective order. The second count of the indictment charges Jones with possession of a firearm in a school zone. Federal laws prohibit the possession of any firearm in a school zone and Jones was found to have a loaded firearm in his possession after an altercation erupted between several individuals who were attending a basketball game at Neville High School on Friday, January 14, 2022.

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

If convicted, Jones faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, for each of the two counts. 

“The goal of Project Safe Neighborhoods is to provide safe neighborhoods in Monroe and surrounding communities where people can safely live, work and raise their families,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We will continue to work closely with other law enforcement agencies to make that happen by removing some of the most violent and dangerous offenders from our streets. This is not something new for us, but instead a renewed effort to address the violent crime in the Monroe area to rid our communities of those bad apples. Illegally carrying a loaded gun and threatening those around you is not acceptable behavior and can result in the loss of innocent lives. Our message to those who participate in these bad acts is that threatening the safety of innocent people will not be tolerated and we are committed to boosting our coordinated efforts to rid the streets of this type of crime.”

City of Monroe Police Chief Vic Zordan stated: “Mayor Friday Ellis and I are excited to be working with the Western District of Louisiana’s United States Attorney in ridding Monroe of violent gun offenders. The Monroe Police Department is dedicated to working hand in hand with our federal law enforcement partners so that violent criminals have significant and appropriate consequences for their actions.  When convicted in the federal system, the offender will serve approximately 85% of their sentence in jail, as opposed to approximately 50% in the Louisiana State system.”

Ouachita Parish Sheriff Jay Russell stated: “The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office has enjoyed a long standing relationship with U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown. Together we targeted violent felony criminals, removed them from our streets and brought them to justice.  We look forward to continuing our combined efforts of improving the quality of life in our community for all of our citizens.”

Ouachita Parish District Attorney Steve Tew stated: “The District Attorney’s office is fortunate to be partnered with these law enforcement agencies on the state and federal level.  Our First Assistant, Mrs. Holly Chambers Jones, has been at the forefront of this operation from its inception.  She has done an outstanding job in coordinating the efforts of our office with these other agencies.”

If you have any information related to individuals committing crimes of violence in Monroe, please contact Monroe Police Department at 318-329-2600 or Crime Stoppers of North Delta at 318-388-CASH (2274).

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ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that three individuals from North Louisiana have been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell for their involvement in the trafficking of fentanyl.

Makayla Monique Smith, 29, of Campti, Louisiana, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Smith was charged in an indictment in July 2020 and pleaded guilty July 7, 2021 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. In March 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Cenla Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of individuals in the Natchitoches, Louisiana area. During their investigation, law enforcement agents learned that three USPS Priority Parcels were received in the Natchitoches Post Office addressed to a known vacant address but were returned to the post office as “undeliverable.” An individual called the USPS Hotline to inquire about the subject parcels and provided a callback number. An agent with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service contacted the individual and she provided him a new address in Campti for the subject parcels to be delivered.

Law enforcement agents arranged for a narcotic detection K-9 to conduct an open-air narcotics sniff of the subject parcels and positively alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search warrant was obtained and agents recovered approximately 51 grams of fentanyl in the parcels. Agents attempted to make a controlled delivery to the new address given but the parcels were refused by an adult female at the address. USPS contacted the individual who had provided the new address and left a message that the delivery was attempted but the parcels were refused. A male individual called and told the post office that the packages would be picked up. That afternoon, agents observed two females arrive in a Jeep and enter the post office, retrieve the subject parcels, drive to a residence in Campti and take the packages into the residence. Soon after, two males arrived at the residence and went inside. A female then exited the residence and placed a box inside the Jeep and the two females and four children then got into the Jeep and left, followed by the two males. Agents conducting surveillance observed the two vehicles travel from Campti to Natchitoches and the agents were able to stop their vehicles for probable cause. Smith was the driver of the Jeep and the driver of the other vehicle was her boyfriend and co-defendant. A K-9 officer alerted at the rear of the Jeep to the presence of narcotics and agents searched and found the three packages in the rear area covered by a blanket. Smith and her co-defendants, Jeremy Dewayne Armstrong and Earl Mack Wallace, II, were arrested. All three defendants admitted to their involvement in obtaining the fentanyl.

Smith’s co-defendants, Jeremy Dewayne Armstrong, 37, of Natchitoches, and Earl Mack Wallace, II, 39, of Campti, both previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Dee D. Drell to the following: Armstrong received a sentence of 240 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release, and Wallace was sentenced to 3 years probation.

“A few grains of fentanyl can have deadly consequences and unfortunately fentanyl overdose cases have been an issue across our district in recent years,“ said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “One of our goals will be to vigorously prosecute those who possess this drug illegally. Further, we will continue to work closely with all of our law partners to disrupt drug fentanyl and methamphetamine traffickers, stopping them in their tracks.

The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office and Natchitoches Police Department investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of two cases in the Western District of Louisiana. Sentencing hearings were held yesterday in Alexandria and United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced the following individuals:

Cortez Dayshon Duncantel, 27, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced to 130 months (10 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on firearms charges.  The charges stem from an incident on June 4, 2019, when a Pineville Police Department officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. Duncantel was a passenger in the vehicle and was detained during the stop. Officers conducted a pat-down search of Duncantel and found a loaded Glock pistol and a bag of suspected cocaine in his groin area. In addition, officers found a digital scale which Duncantel had in a waist pack around his shoulder. The suspected narcotics were sent to the crime lab for analysis and confirmed to be cocaine. Duncantel is a convicted felon, having previously been convicted of Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance in 2014 and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Alfred James Kirk, 40, of Lecompte, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Kirk was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2021, and he pleaded guilty on October 4, 2021 to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On October 3, 2020, a Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle Kirk was driving for a traffic violation. When the deputy approached the car, he smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Deputies searched the vehicle and found small quantities of illegal drugs packaged for distribution, as well as a loaded pistol between the front driver and middle seat of the vehicle. Kirk has a lengthy criminal history of felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. His prior convictions were for illegal use of a weapon (2002); forgery (2004 and 2006); possession of stolen things (2013); simple escape (2013); possession of cocaine (2018); and possession with intent to distribute heroin, alprazolam, and methamphetamine (2018).

These cases were investigated by the ATF, Pineville Police Department, and Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, and were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Brian C. Flanagan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Antonio Lamont Ware, 44, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 170 months (14 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking and firearms charges.

Ware was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021 and pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to information presented in court, on November 6, 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a surveillance operation on Ware at his residence in Shreveport. Agents observed Ware get in his vehicle and drive down I-49. Deputies with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Ware for a traffic violation, and he refused to stop.  While deputies were following him, they observed Ware throw a handgun out of the passenger window. The handgun struck the hood of the deputy’s vehicle and landed on the shoulder of the roadway. Ware finally pulled over and was interviewed by law enforcement agents. He admitted to possessing illegal narcotics and agents located 1,037.8 grams of methamphetamine, 176.7 grams of cocaine, and approximately 600 ecstasy pills. Agents also found three handguns in the same location where the drugs were located.

Ware has prior felony convictions, including a state conviction for accessory after the fact of simple burglary in 2000, and a federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute cocaine in 2006.

The case was investigated by DEA and the ATF and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Nathan P. McCall, 32, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. McCall was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. In addition, restitution was ordered in the amount of $8,750 to Barksdale Federal Credit Union.

According to evidence presented to the court, on December 7, 2020, officers with the Shreveport Police Department found McCall sitting in a vehicle parked in front of a local credit union and were given permission to search his vehicle. Inside the trunk, law enforcement officers found a Glock pistol beside a checkbook where the top check had been made payable to Nathan McCall. Officers also found a loaded 9mm drum magazine inside the vehicle. The ordered restitution stems from conduct involving McCall’s unauthorized use of an elderly woman’s checkbook.

McCall has a previous felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance in 2011 and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Caddo Parish Financial Crimes Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Quinterrius D’Lon Brown, 20, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, on firearms charges.

Brown was charged in a federal indictment with illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment and pleaded guilty to the charge on September 7, 2021. According to evidence presented to the court, Brown was indicted in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, on November 18, 2020 and charged with one count of 2nd degree murder and two counts of aggravated criminal damage to property. He appeared in Caddo Parish District Court with his counsel on January 20, 2021, was arraigned on those charges and then released on bond.

On June 12, 2021, law enforcement agents received information that Brown was illegally in possession of firearms. Agents began searching for Brown and he was located outside of his girlfriend’s residence on Fairway Drive in Shreveport. After being read his Miranda rights, agents learned that Brown had purchased a handgun off the street a month earlier. A search warrant was obtained and executed at the residence and agents found a handgun in the master bedroom where Brown admitted to hiding it earlier that day. The firearm was analyzed by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and confirmed it to be a working firearm.

Brown knew he was under indictment for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Karen Duhon, 67, of Berwick, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on mail fraud charges. Duhon was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,391,598.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Duhon in December 2018 and she pleaded guilty on August 12, 2021 to one count of mail fraud. Duhon worked as the bookkeeper at Capital Management Consultants, Inc. (CMCI), a family-owned company located in Morgan City, Louisiana from October 1973 until August 2014.  Beginning in approximately January 1999, Duhon took money from CMCI unlawfully. With the assistance of the treasurer of CMCI at the time, Duhon began writing checks to herself in amounts over her allowed salary, which the treasurer would then sign. Duhon deposited the checks in various accounts owned by her and her husband. She would then make false accounting entries in CMCI’s records to disguise these payments. The amount of loss suffered by CMCI was $3,263,677.06.

In addition, Duhon, along with the treasurer, also assisted certain members of the company owner’s family with their personal finances, including paying bills and balancing accounts. This gave Duhon access to checks connected to a specific brokerage account owned by one of the family members. From November 2012 through January 2014, Duhon, with the aid and encouragement of the treasurer, and without authorization of the victim family member, used this brokerage account to pay $127,920.94 in expenses on her personal American Express cards. Further, in December 2013, Duhon, acting with intent to defraud, mailed or caused to be mailed to American Express a check in the amount of $8,370.03 drawn on the victim family member’s account.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Another defendant who was charged as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) “Operation Hustle City” was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.  

Robert Lynn Baulkman, 35, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 16 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Baulkman was charged in a Bill of Information with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and he pleaded guilty to that charge on September 7, 2021. The charge was the result of an investigation led by agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into the drug trafficking activities of individuals in the Shreveport/Bossier City area in 2018, including Baulkman. Agents conducted surveillance and observed Baulkman meet one of his co-conspirators and provide him with a bag that was believed to contain marijuana and methamphetamine. The co-defendant then provided the bag to an individual who had made arrangements to purchase the narcotics. Agents obtained the purchased narcotics and sent them to the crime laboratory for analysis. The lab results confirmed that the marijuana weighed 1,737 grams and the pills contained 46.65 grams of a mixture and substance of methamphetamine.

Federal agencies including DEA, Department of Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, all worked jointly with the Louisiana State Police, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, in conducting the investigation of Baulkman and his co-conspirators. U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the cases.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two men from the south Louisiana area were sentenced today by Chief United States Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. for their illegal involvement with firearms.

Lance Lawtell Granger, 49, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 56 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On November 18, 2020, law enforcement officers with the Lafayette Police Department executed a search warrant at Granger’s residence and, while searching his bedroom, located a backpack containing a firearm and ammunition. Granger admitted to officers that the firearm and ammunition belonged to him and that he knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition because he was a convicted felon. His prior felony convictions are for possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2009, along with possession with intent to distribute synthetic cannabinoids and attempted possession of firearm by a convicted felon in 2018.

This case was investigated by the ATF and Lafayette Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.

Cristian Eli Alvarez-Alvarez, 25, who was found to be living illegal in the United States, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On February 3, 2021, officers with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of shots being fired at a residence in Duson, Louisiana. During their investigation of these events, law enforcement agents learned that Alvarez-Alvarez was in possession of a firearm and that he was also a citizen of Honduras who was living illegally in the United States. Alvarez-Alvarez was charged in an indictment with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and pleaded guilty to the charge on May 4, 2021.

This case was investigated by agents with the ATF, Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the completion of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation in the Western District of Louisiana.

Robert Edward Simpson, 49, of Benton, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Simpson was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $25,000.

Simpson and five others were indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges in October 2020. On June 24, 2021, Simpson pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with Thomas Shane Benefield, Tania Cedillo, Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” Casey Head, and Tanya Simpson-Procell, to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Agents with FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force conducted an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Simpson and his co-defendants. They were able to obtain an order granting permission to wiretap Simpson’s phone which led agents to learn that Simpson’s drug suppliers were Cedillo and Palacios, who were from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Intercepted phone conversations showed that Simpson made trips at least once a week to the Dallas area and pick up large quantities of methamphetamine from the different suppliers. Benefield and Simpson-Procell both helped Simpson distribute methamphetamine to many different buyers and Head was a regular multi-ounce buyer. Agents obtained evidence that on March 11, 2020, Simpson sold 55.7 grams of methamphetamine to an individual in Shreveport. He was arrested on June 18, 2020 and admitted to buying methamphetamine in the Dallas area and distributing it in the Shreveport/Bossier City area.

The following co-defendants have each previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case:

• Thomas Shane Benefield, 46, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

• Casey Head, 39, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was previously sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

• Tania Cedillo, 35, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

• Rosa Palacios a/k/a “Mama,” 52, of Dallas, Texas, was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

• Tanya Simpson-Procell, 48, of Bossier City, was previously sentenced to 110 months (9 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crime Task Force, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Mike Shannon.

This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of three cases involving the trafficking of illegal narcotics in the Western District of Louisiana. Two of these cases were Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) cases. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Clay Bryant Lonadier, 42, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lonadier pleaded guilty September 9, 2021 to the charge.  In July 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Shreveport area after receiving information that Lonadier’s co-defendant, Demetrius Loston, was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine. This OCDETF investigation was named “Operation Lost and Found” and resulted in federal indictments against nine defendants for conspiring together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During their investigation, agents were able to intercept phone calls between Lonadier and Loston, wherein they communicated about buying and selling methamphetamine. Agents set up surveillance and observed Loston and Lonadier meet on more than one occasion and conduct drug transactions.  On November 6, 2020, Lonadier was arrested by officers with the Shreveport Police Department for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Shreveport Police Department and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

Arnelius Danta Terrell, 33, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday by Chief Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 60 months (5 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine. During an OCDETF investigation into the drug trafficking activities in the Shreveport area, agents met with a confidential informant about undercover purchases that had been made. Agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted surveillance around the Lamar Street area in Shreveport area on April 15, 2019 and observed Terrell arrive at a residence and deliver methamphetamine to an individual. Through phone conversations, agents learned that Terrell brought the methamphetamine at the direction of his uncle. The methamphetamine was seized, and field tested positive for methamphetamine. A laboratory analysis confirmed it to be 53.7 grams of actual methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

In another drug trafficking case, Darren Dewayne Cooper, 33, of Tallulah, Louisiana, was sentenced this week by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Through an investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), agents learned that Cooper made arrangements with another individual on the telephone wherein they discussed the sale of narcotics, including the amount and type of narcotics and the sale price.  On August 13, 2020, Cooper met the individual at a gas station in Monroe, Louisiana and sold methamphetamine to them. The amount sold was determined to be at least 50 grams of methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the DEA and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Joan Chauvin Edgar, 71, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 41 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on tax fraud charges. Edgar was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $375,213.54.

Edgar was charged in July 2020 and pleaded guilty September 10, 2021 to failing to pay over withholding and F.I.C.A. (Social Security) Taxes. According to information presented to the court, Edgar established NGE Techs, LLC (NGE) in New Iberia, Louisiana, in 2012 and the company existed until 2017. NGE provided employees and other services to oilfield production companies. As an employer, NGE was required to withhold employment taxes from its employees’ wages throughout a quarter and maintain them in “trust” to be paid to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the end of the quarter.

As the sole owner of NGE, Edgar was responsible for collecting, accounting for, and paying over the trust fund taxes on behalf of the company. She submitted Forms W-3 (“Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements”) to the Social Security Administration for 2012 through 2017, reflecting the total wages paid to her employees by the company and taxes withheld by the company from its employees’ paychecks. However, Edgar never paid any of the withheld taxes to the IRS as required. Edgar admitted that during the second quarter of 2015, although she had deducted and collected taxes from her employees to pay to the IRS, she failed to pay them when they became due. Edgar admitted to knowing she had a duty to pay those taxes and to voluntarily and intentionally violating that duty.

The case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that David D. DeBerardinis, 60, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 15 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for committing wire fraud and defrauding many people out of millions of dollars. A presentence investigation estimated the amount of loss to the victims in this case to be over $58,000,000. A hearing will be held on March 28, 2022 at 9:00 to determine the exact full amount of restitution to be paid by DeBerardinis.

DeBerardinis, a Shreveport-based executive, pleaded guilty to the charge of wire fraud on August 25, 2021. DeBerardinis admitted that he operated and managed numerous business entities and that he represented himself and his business entities to be part of the petroleum industry involved in a complex fuel trading business. DeBerardinis solicited, and caused others to solicit, individual investors and financial institutions to provide funds for his businesses in exchange for interest payments and a guaranteed return of principal.

DeBerardinis told investors and financial institutions that he had a preferential trading arrangement with Alon USA Energy, Inc. (Alon) that generated significant profits that would be used to repay the investors and financial institutions when in truth and in fact, DeBerardinis knew that he had no such arrangement with Alon. Between April 2014 and June 2015, PlainsCapital Bank, a financial institution in Dallas, Texas, provided funding to DeBerardinis in the amount of $29,500,000 allegedly to expand his fuel trading business. At the time the funding was obtained, DeBerardinis knew that he was not making fuel trades and that he did not have a relationship with Alon.

The funding from PlainsCapital was made by several interstate wire transfers from PlainsCapital Bank in Dallas to one of DeBerardinis’ bank accounts in Shreveport. The defendant either initiated or caused to be initiated these wire transfers. One of the wire transfers occurred on or about November 25, 2014 in the amount of $17,100,000.

“As was evident in today’s sentencing hearing, this defendant spent many years conning not only business associates, but also friends who trusted him, out of millions of dollars and destroying many of their lives while doing so,” stated United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “His cavalier attitude about the deception he used and the destruction that he caused is appalling. Seeking justice for victims such as these in this case is what continues to drive us to work harder to weed out those who deploy such unconscionable acts.”

DeBerardinis was ordered to report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons on February 16, 2022.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Cadesby B. Cooper prosecuted the case.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Damione Brock, 42, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to spend 292 months (24 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy. Other co-defendants have also been sentenced to either conspiracy or other drug trafficking charges in connection with this case.

Brock was convicted of the charge by a federal jury after a two-day trial in April 2021. Evidence presented at the trial showed the jury that agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation in 2018 into drug trafficking activities in the Plain Dealing and Springhill areas of Louisiana. During their investigation, agents sought approval to use wiretaps and were able to intercept phone calls and text messages between Brock and Hogan wherein they discussed having methamphetamine delivered to Brock while he was a prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola (“Angola”). Brock, who was serving a lengthy sentence in Angola for possession of cocaine, was using a contraband cell phone to communicate with Hogan. Brock had arranged for the methamphetamine to be brought to him in Angola, using a courier and Keisarah McGee, a female who worked at the prison as a corrections officer.

DEA agents observed the transportation of the methamphetamine, which was hidden in fake soda cans driven from Bossier City to Alexandria by one of Brock’s couriers. The courier, Marvin Beck, put the package into McGee’s vehicle, who then took possession of the methamphetamine hidden in fake soda cans with the plan to transfer them to Angola when reporting for work. DEA agents alerted Louisiana Department of Corrections investigators to expect the female officer to try and enter the facility with the hidden narcotics. Investigators were able to stop her vehicle at the front gate of Angola and seized the methamphetamine prior to her entry into the facility.

In addition, agents uncovered a separate conspiracy involving Hogan to distribute cocaine in the Springhill, Louisiana, and Arkansas areas. Between October and December 2018, Hogan conspired with Steven Dewayne Gilbert, Patrick Clayton, and Kagan Weaver to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Agents with the DEA were able to intercept numerous phone calls between these defendants wherein they discussed the distribution of cocaine and the conversion of powder cocaine to crack cocaine. On December 18, 2018, Clayton was found to have individually wrapped baggies of cocaine packaged for street level distribution.

Law enforcement agents received additional information that Weaver was intending to purchase cocaine from Gilbert to distribute to individuals in Arkansas. On December 14, 2018, agents observed Weaver arrive in Springhill and meet with Gilbert. They both traveled to a residence in Plain Dealing that belonged to Hogan where cocaine was purchased from Hogan. Weaver then drove to Arkansas where he was stopped by law enforcement and found to have the cocaine in his possession. An analysis of the narcotics seized from these defendants was conducted by the DEA Laboratory and confirmed to be cocaine.

“Some of the defendants convicted in this case, which are from the Western District of Louisiana, used the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola to facilitate this conspiracy. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute repeat drug traffickers who have no regard or respect for the law. Further, state correctional officers are held to a high standard and are entrusted to ensuring that order is maintained in state prisons, not to assist prisoners in committing other crimes.”

All of the co-defendants in this case have been sentenced and their names, convictions and information are as follows:

Steven Dewayne Gilbert, 39, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced June 19, 2020 to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 6 years of supervised release;

Roderick Dewaine Hogan, 40, of Plain Dealing, Louisiana, was sentenced April 23, 2021 to 200 months (16 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years supervised release;

Keisarah McGee, 30, of Woodville, Mississippi, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, followed by 2 years supervised release;

Kagan Weaver, 24, of Waldo, Arkansas, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release;

Marvin Beck, 45, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 4 years supervised probation; and

Patrick Clayton, 44, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced to 1 day in prison, with credit for time served, followed by 3 years supervised release.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Casey Michael Taylor, 35, of Arcadia, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for illegal possession of firearms.

Taylor was sentenced to 68 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to information presented to the court, on February 2, 2021, deputies with the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office lawfully stopped Taylor’s pickup truck in response to a be-on-the-lookout or “BOLO” alert. Deputies placed Taylor into custody and found inside his truck several loaded handguns, ammunition, methamphetamine, and smoking paraphernalia. Investigators later searched and seized multiple firearms from Taylor’s gun safe pursuant to a search warrant. Taylor later admitted that he was addicted to and a daily user of methamphetamine making him prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Derrick Felton, 43, of Alexandria, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Jay Zainey to 188 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges.

Felton was charged in an indictment on July 13, 2018 following an investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into suspicious packages that were detected by a postal employee delivering mail in November 2017. The packages had been shipped from Los Angeles, California to an address in the Western District of Louisiana and one of the packages had a torn bottom. Upon inspection, the postal employee discovered what appeared to be bags of methamphetamine inside the package. Law enforcement agents with the FBI were contacted and a drug dog alerted on each of the three packages. A search warrant was then obtained for the packages.

During execution of the search warrant, agents found inside each package a combined 18 pounds of methamphetamine. Inside the boxes, the methamphetamine was surrounded by cooking pans. Agents analyzed the cooking pans and found Felton’s fingerprints on two of the pans. Felton pleaded guilty on August 24, 2021 and acknowledged that he facilitated the delivery of the 18 pounds of methamphetamine to the Western District of Louisiana. A laboratory analysis of the substance inside the boxes was determined to contain approximately 8 kilograms of a mixture or substance methamphetamine.

The FBI and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Nickel and Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Demetrius D. Loston, 39, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Loston pleaded guilty August 19, 2021 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In July 2020, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Cedar Grove area after receiving information that Loston was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Shreveport area. This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was named “Operation Lost and Found” and resulted in federal indictments against nine defendants for conspiring together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. During their investigation, agents were able to intercept multiple phone calls between Loston and other co-defendants, wherein they communicated about buying and selling large amounts of methamphetamine for profit. Loston has prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances in 2000, possession of a Schedule II controlled substances in 2005, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2014, and possession with intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances in 2018.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, ATF, and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Juan Francisco Salas, 45, of Houston, Texas, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. on drug trafficking charges.

Salas was sentenced to 76 months (6 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On December 5, 2019, a trooper with the Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Salas. After a period of questioning, the trooper searched Salas’ vehicle and discovered approximately ten kilograms of methamphetamine inside a box in the rear cargo area. Salas admitted that he knew the illegal narcotics were in the trunk. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Laboratory tested the seized methamphetamine and confirmed that the amount seized totaled 9,205 grams.

This case was investigated by the DEA and Louisiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Christopher D. Smith, 25, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 71 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 27, 2021 charging Smith with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of stolen firearm. He pleaded guilty on August 16, 2021 to illegal possession of the firearm. On August 19, 2019, while on parole for state criminal charges and under the supervision of the Louisiana State Probation and Parole, Smith was found to have a loaded firearm in his possession. State parole officers conducted a standard and lawful search of Smith’s residence and located a firearm with a blue bandana wrapped around the magazine in a bedroom of Smith’s residence. The firearm was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition and was in Smith’s bedroom where men’s clothing and mail addressed to him was found. In addition, Smith’s DNA was found on the bandana and the firearm. The firearm was determined to have been reported as stolen back in 2019.

Smith has prior felony convictions for attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2017 and simple robbery in 2016 and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Helen Godfrey-Smith, 72, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to making and using a false document.

Godfrey-Smith was employed by the Shreveport Federal Credit Union (SFCU) from 1983 to 2017 and during much of that time was employed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SFCU. The SFCU was a Shreveport, Louisiana based financial institution under the regulation of the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

In October 2016, the SFCU, through Godfrey-Smith, entered into an agreement with the United States Department of the Treasury to buy back certain securities that were part of the Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). As part of that process, on December 27, 2016, Godfrey-Smith signed and submitted to the United States Department of the Treasury an Officer’s Certificate which certified that all conditions precedent to the closing had been satisfied.

In reality, SFCU had not met all conditions precedent to closing and had suffered a material adverse effect. Unbeknownst to the United States Department of the Treasury and the NCUA, SFCU was in a financial crisis. From 2015 through 2017, another individual who was the Chief Financial Officer of SFCU (Individual 1), had been falsifying call reports to the NCUA which included millions of dollars in fictitious fee income. In addition, she was creating fictitious entries in the banks records to support the false call reports. This created the illusion that SFCU was profitable when, in fact, the bank was failing. In addition, Individual 1, embezzled approximately $1.5 million from the credit union.

By the time Godfrey-Smith signed the Officer's Statement, she had become aware of deficiencies at the credit union. Specifically, she had recently investigated and discovered that there were millions of dollars of fictitious entries on SFCU's general ledger, and the credit union's books were not balanced. However, she failed to disclose this information to the United States Department of the Treasury and signed the false Officer’s Statement.

In the Spring of 2017, the institution failed. It was taken over by regulators from the NCUA and placed into a conservatorship. An investigation by the NCUA revealed that SFCU had amassed in excess of $10 million in losses by December 2016.

Godfrey-Smith faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentencing is set for April 5, 2022.

The FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Department of Treasury–Office of Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Brandon Bonaparte Brown was officially sworn in today as United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. Brown was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on November 15, 2021 and was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 7, 2021. U.S. Attorney Brown was sworn in at the federal courthouse in Lafayette.

“It is an honor to have been nominated and endorsed by the President and Senators Cassidy and Kennedy to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana,” stated U.S. Attorney Brown. “I am excited to serve alongside a team of exceptional public servants at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and with the dedicated law enforcement professionals throughout this district. This office will continue to partner with law enforcement and community partners to pursue equal justice under the law.”

With over 14 years of public service, U.S. Attorney Brown will lead an office of approximately 70 federal prosecutors and staff, located in Shreveport and Lafayette. The Western District of Louisiana covers the western part of Louisiana, with offices in Shreveport, Lafayette, Alexandria, Monroe, and Lake Charles.

U.S. Attorney Brown joined the Shreveport Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office as an Assistant United States Attorney in November 2012. He worked in the general crimes area and prosecuted a wide range of criminal offenses and has tried multiple cases to jury verdict. Most notably, U.S. Attorney Brown was trial counsel in United States v. Thomas Sanders, a multi-victim homicide case spanning multiple states, which culminated in the first death penalty verdict in the history of the Western District of Louisiana. In March 2017, Brown was appointed as the Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for the district, charged with coordinating two task forces comprised of federal and state law enforcement agencies with the goal of investigating and prosecuting firearm and high-end violent crime organizations in the district.  He left the office in March 2018 to accept a position in private practice and then rejoined the Shreveport Criminal Division in October 2018 as the Shreveport Division Lead Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) attorney and the district’s Violent Crime Coordinator.

From 2007 to 2012, U.S. Attorney Brown served as an Assistant District Attorney at the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office in Monroe, Louisiana. While serving in the felony division, he prosecuted a wide range of offenses including sex crimes, homicides, robberies, narcotics, and public corruption, while also handling any appeals related to his cases. Most notably, he was trial counsel in State of Louisiana v. Edward L. Harris, a public corruption case in which the mayor of a municipality made improper payments to himself and town employees during his last days in office after losing reelection. He was also trial counsel in State of Louisiana v. Matt Banks, a “cold case,” revived after seven years, resulting in two life imprisonment sentences. 

U.S. Attorney Brown grew up in Richwood, Louisiana, and graduated from Ouachita Parish High School. He is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University holding a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Information Systems (2002) and a Master of Business Administration (2004). Brown received his law degree from the Southern University Law Center in 2007, where he was the 1L class president, led the student recruitment committee, represented indigent defendants in the criminal clinical program, and served on the Moot Court Board. U.S. Attorney Brown is involved in activities in his community and is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in Shreveport.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two co-conspirators, Roderick Lamont Stills, a.k.a. “Scooter,” 45, of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Myron Keith Carter, a.k.a. “Cali Red,” 38, of Ontario, California, have been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., for their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy.  Stills was sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and Carter was sentenced to 78 months (6 years, 2 months) in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The charges in this case stem from an investigation conducted by agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) into shipments of methamphetamine that were being sent to individuals in the Shreveport area from Southern California. On July 31, 2019, DEA and U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents learned about the arrival of packages from California into the Western District of Louisiana. The next day, agents observed a postal carrier deliver one of the packages to an address on Line Avenue in Shreveport. Agents observed Stills obtain the package and move it to his vehicle. Stills was detained by agents and when they retrieved the package from his vehicle, found heat-sealed packages containing approximately 1,647 gross grams of methamphetamine. Stills admitted that the package was his and further admitted that he had received at least two dozen packages of methamphetamine to the Shreveport area. He further admitted that he would have individuals pick up the packages from him on occasion and that he would also distribute the drugs to others to sell.

During their investigation, law enforcement agents learned that Carter would mail methamphetamine to an address in Shreveport, then fly to Dallas, rent a car, drive to Shreveport, and retrieve the package. He would then arrange meetings with individuals in Shreveport to sell the methamphetamine in large quantities for them to sell. On September 18, 2019, Carter arranged such a meeting and sold methamphetamine for $3,700 to an individual. The methamphetamine was later tested at the DEA crime lab and determined to be methamphetamine and weighed 375.4 grams.

The case was investigated by DEA and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two men have been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to time in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Both defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in Lafayette on January 13, 2021 for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Kevin Joseph Lejeune, 31, of Westlake, Louisiana was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Lejeune pleaded guilty on June 3, 2021. The charge stemmed from an incident in which deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance complaint at a residence in Lake Charles on July 9, 2020. Upon arrival at the residence, the deputies interviewed witnesses at the scene and learned that Lejeune had possessed and discharged a firearm that evening. The residence was equipped with a video surveillance system, and the system’s recording device was located within a locked safe. Search warrants were executed on the residence and Lejeune’s vehicle. Deputies found a loaded pistol in Lejeune’s vehicle and recovered the surveillance video from the safe. Upon reviewing the surveillance video, deputies observed video footage of Lejeune possessing and firing the pistol.  Also, Lejeune admitted to law enforcement that he had possessed and discharged a pistol that evening. As a person having been previously convicted of felony offenses, Lejeune knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition. His previous felony convictions included those for aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the ATF and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.

Rickey A. Edmonds, 48, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On February 10, 2020, Lake Charles Police Department officers responded to a residence in connection with a reported disturbance complaint. Officers found Edmonds on the porch with a firearm near him. He acknowledged to officers that the firearm belonged to him. In addition, Edmonds had a number of rounds of ammunition in his pants pocket. Edmonds has prior felony convictions for illegal carrying of a weapon (second offense) (2016), and for unauthorized use of a vehicle (2016). Edmonds knew that as a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

This case was investigated by the ATF and Lake Charles Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Yvette L. Fontenot, 54, of Carencro, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 14 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for using or trafficking in an unauthorized access device. Fontenot was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $149,461.48.

Fontenot pleaded guilty to the charge on August 20, 2021. Fontenot was employed as an Office Manager at Periodontics Associates in Lafayette, Louisiana. In that position, Fontenot was authorized to use certain credit cards for business expenses, as well as certain business accounts to pay the balances of those credit cards and other business expenses.

According to evidence presented to the court, from November 2008 until August 2016, Fontenot used several of the business credit cards issued to Periodontics Associates for personal expenses for herself and her family. Fontenot knew that these credit cards were obtained and authorized for business use only and she knew that other business accounts would be used to pay the balances of the credit card accounts. In fact, business funds were used to pay these credit card balances and personal expenses of Fontenot through business checks prepared by Fontenot herself. She did this with the intent to defraud the company for personal gain, to which she was not entitled. The amount of loss suffered by the company as identified in the criminal proceedings was $149,461.48.

The United States Secret Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.

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