Western District of Louisiana

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Togo national was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison for refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.

Aboudou Waka, 34, of Kpalime, Togo, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on two counts of failure to depart.  Evidence admitted at a two-day trial that ended May 4, 2018 showed that on two occasions U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to remove Waka via an escorted commercial flight from the Alexandria International Airport.  The defendant hampered deportation efforts on March 13, 2017 and April 11, 2017 by verbally and physically resisting attempts to escort him onto the plane.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a federal jury found a Breaux Bridge man guilty of conspiring with three Lafayette residents to sell heroin.

Joshua Edwards, 32, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.  United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial, which started Monday and ended today. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that Edwards, along with Jacobe Arceneaux, 34; Terrence T. Woods, 33; and Robert Jenkins, 35, all of Lafayette, conspired to distribute heroin in the Acadiana area in 2016 and 2017. Law enforcement agents identified Arceneaux as a heroin supplier who used a relative’s home on Simcoe Street in Lafayette as a stash house and used the relative as an intermediary to sell drugs.

Edwards faces a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, eight years of supervised release and a $5 million fine.  Sentencing has been set for October 31, 2018. Arceneaux pleaded guilty to the distribution count on July 13, 2017, and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9, 2018. Woods pleaded guilty to the distribution count on September 20, 2017, and the sentencing date has not been set. Jenkins pleaded guilty to the distribution count on January 11, 2018, and he was sentenced on May 8, 2018 to 90 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

The FBI, DEA, Lafayette Metro Narcotics and other law enforcement agencies conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert C. Abendroth and Daniel J. McCoy are prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that two men from Austin, Texas, were sentenced for using a credit card skimmer to steal people’s identities, then create fake credit cards and steal thousands of dollars from their private bank accounts.

Emicel Artigas Garcia, 39, was sentenced to 54 months in prison and Adalberto Ramos Cuellar, 42, was sentenced to 51 months in prison by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.  They also face three years of supervised release and must pay $2,637.31.

According to the guilty pleas, the defendants were observed on July 14, 2017 at a Bossier City retail store’s self-checkout counter swiping multiple cards in order to purchase prepaid money and gift cards. Bossier City police later approached the defendants in the parking lot and found seven credit cards and three gift cards in Cuellar’s possession, which bore the defendants’ names. After the electronic information was obtained from the cards, law enforcement agents found that stolen identities were on the cards, even though they were labeled with the defendants’ names. Police later searched the defendants’ car and found seven USB thumb drives, one laptop, eight additional re-encoded cards, a cell phone, a gas pump key, and a gas pump skimmer.  Gas pump skimmers are illegal devices used to steal credit card information. The evidence from the seized devices showed that the defendants downloaded private card information between October 2016 and July 2017.  The cell phone contained pictures of screens showing the stolen information, and the laptop contained compromised credit/debit card data for 793 additional cards.

The U.S. Secret Service and the Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Sulphur man was sentenced Thursday to 65 months in prison for storing child pornography online.

Cameron Deshown Fairley, 28, of Sulphur, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the April 25, 2018 guilty plea, Fairley maintained an online data storage account from September 2016 to February 2017 where he possessed images and videos of child pornography. He used the account to access and view child pornography. Some of the images depicted children under the age of 12.

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

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

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lake Charles law firm employee was sentenced Thursday to one year and 10 months in prison for stealing more than $332,000 from the firm.

Pamela Ann Fayko, 54, of Lake Charles, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of wire fraud.  She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $332,110 restitution.  According to the February 9, 2018 guilty plea, Fayko worked for a Lake Charles law firm as a bookkeeper and office manager from 2008 to 2016.  As part of her job duties, she paid all the bills with a checkbook and had access to the company credit card.  From 2011 to 2016, Fayko wrote fraudulent checks and made fraudulent purchases with the credit card, which cost the firm $332,110.30.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced Thursday to six months in prison for re-entering the United States after being deported.

Raul Delacruz-Valdez, 31, of Fresnillo, Zacatescas, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the March 13, 2018 guilty plea, Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on Delacruz-Valdez’s vehicle on March 20, 2017 in Calcasieu Parish.  He was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated.  After his arrest, law enforcement agents discovered that he was an illegal alien who had re-entered the United States without obtaining permission.  He had previously been removed on October 18, 2010.

Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Deville man was sentenced Tuesday to two years and three months in prison for possessing a silencer that had not been registered.

Jonathan Hayes, 32, of Deville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release. According to the April 16, 2018 guilty plea, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents arrested Hayes on June 1, 2016 in the Camp Beauregard Wildlife Management Area. Agents found him in possession of a Ruger .22 caliber rifle, a Savage .22 caliber rifle and a firearm silencer. The silencer, which is a firearm under federal law, had no manufacturer’s mark of identification or serial number. The silencer was not registered in the National Firearms and Transfer Record.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a man from Alabama was sentenced Thursday to 96 months in prison for trafficking cocaine in his vehicle.

Robert Tremaine Williams, 37, of Ozark, Alabama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release.  According to the March 12, 2018 guilty plea, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop on September 9, 2014 in Lake Charles on Williams’ vehicle.  During a search of his vehicle, officers found 1,267.01 grams of cocaine in the trunk.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Pollock woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $114,000 in Veteran’s Affairs (VA) disability benefits.

Elizabeth Marion Poole, 44, of Pollock, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee. D. Drell to one count of theft of money belonging to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. An agent from the VA, Office of Inspector General, provided summary testimony during the guilty plea hearing as the factual basis for the guilty plea.  The agent testified that Poole’s mother died in September of 2007, while receiving VA benefits as the surviving widow of a U.S. Navy veteran who had retired with a 100 percent service-related disability.  Poole did not notify the VA of her mother’s death, and the VA continued to send monthly benefit payments to Poole’s mother by direct deposits into a joint account that Poole held with her mother.  Poole received and spent the monthly VA payments after her mother died in 2007 until June of 2013.  She received approximately $114,210 in VA benefit payments that she was not entitled to.

Poole faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution.  The court set the sentencing date for November 19, 2018.

The Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Pollock prisoner pleaded guilty Monday to possessing an improvised weapon.

Jihad Chase, 36, an inmate at U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee. D. Drell to one count of possessing contraband in prison. According to the guilty plea, Chase was found in possession of an improvised weapon, commonly referred to as a “shank,” on April 25, 2017 while at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock. The weapon in Chase’s possession was an object, sharpened to a point, approximately 6.5 inches in length, and prohibited on prison grounds.

Chase faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for October 16, 2018.

The FBI and U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Forrest T. Phillips is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Church Point woman was sentenced Tuesday to 262 months in prison for methamphetamine and cocaine distribution in Acadia and Lafayette parishes, and for illegally possessing a firearm.

Courtney Lynn Daigle, 42, of Church Point, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine and 5 kilograms of cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.  She was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.  According to the November 8, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified Daigle as a supplier of methamphetamine while investigating drug distribution in Acadia and Lafayette parishes.  Law enforcement executed a federal search warrant on February 3, 2017 at her residence in Church Point and a state search warrant at a related residence in Rayne, Louisiana.  As a result, law enforcement recovered a Smith and Wesson SD9VE 9 mm handgun, 60 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, and approximately 679.1 grams of methamphetamine, 873.1 grams of cocaine, 12.9 grams of cocaine base, 589.4 grams of marijuana, 82 dosage units of LSD, 116 dosage units of alprazolam, 1.5 dosage units of hydrocodone, one 10 milliliter vial of testosterone cypionate, and one 10 milliliter vial of testosterone enanthate. Officers also recovered $5,000, digital scales, vacuum bags/sealer, and narcotics packaging.

The DEA, ATF, Louisiana State Police, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force, Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office and Eunice Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a man from Singer pleaded guilty Wednesday to robbing a DeQuincy bank of nearly $16,000.

Gordon Scott Cooper, 56, of Singer Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of bank robbery.  The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James.  According to the guilty plea, Gordon Cooper entered a bank in DeQuincy, Louisiana, with an air-powered BB gun that looked like an automatic pistol and stole $15,999 from two teller drawers.  Police later learned that a maroon Honda Pilot had been seen in the area prior to the robbery and that the driver had been seen acting suspiciously.  Police located Chad Allen Cooper, 39, of Singer, Louisiana, who is Gordon Cooper’s nephew and found BBs and a CO2 cartridge for the air pistol used in the robbery. Chad Cooper admitted to assisting in the robbery and directed officers on how to find his uncle. At Gordon Cooper’s residence, police located the Honda Pilot, a plastic bag containing money, and a pair of tennis shoes that Gordon Cooper identified as the ones worn in the robbery.

Gordon Cooper faces up to 25 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for October 1, 2018. Chad Cooper pleaded guilty on June 5, 2018, to one count of bank robbery and faces the same penalties as Gordon Cooper. The court set Chad Cooper’s sentencing for October 1, 2018.

The FBI and the Dequincy Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that efforts to increase violent crime prosecutions in the Shreveport area are having a positive effect on crime rates.

United States Attorney Joseph’s focus on violent crime is part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing effort to increase targeted prosecutions of violent crime through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.  In the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana has prosecuted more than 200 defendants throughout the district, approximately 100 of which are in the Shreveport area, for firearm related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms.   These prosecutions represent approximately three times the number of such cases than have been brought in previous years.

The PSN program is a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office involving local, state and federal law enforcement.  In Shreveport, participants include the ATF, FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department and Shreveport Mayor’s office.  The program has been proven to be successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone.  United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a crime reduction strategy involving PSN.

“The aim of these targeted prosecutions is to remove the most violent and dangerous offenders from our streets,” Joseph stated.  ”We stand with our federal and local partners in facing the threats of violence, gun crimes and drug abuse in our communities. We will not be deterred, and we will continue to step up the pressure on these bad actors. The message is clear, if you threaten the safety and security of innocent people in our communities, you will face the consequences.”

The Western District of Louisiana consists of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana. This area covers the cities of Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and Shreveport.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Bossier City man previously convicted of a felony was sentenced to three years in prison for unlawfully possessing a .40-caliber pistol.

Leroy George, 31, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the March 8, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed a warrant on August 18, 2017 at a Bossier City apartment and located a Taurus, model PT 101, .40-caliber pistol under a pillow in George’s bedroom. George was previously convicted of burglary in 2007 and robbery in 2015.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF and U.S. Marshals Service Violent Offenders Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a woman who owned a Shreveport tax preparation business was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for filing false tax returns for herself and her clients.

Deborah A. Turner, 47, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of making and subscribing a false tax return and one count of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false return. She was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $128,828 restitution. According to the January 22, 2018 guilty plea, Turner owned Tax Express Refund, a tax preparation business located in Shreveport. The IRS revoked her Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) in January 2014, but she instead started using her daughter’s EFIN to continue filing tax returns. She filed numerous tax returns for clients for tax years 2011 to 2013 containing false information so they could claim deductions, credits and expenses to increase the size of their refunds. She also filed a false individual tax return for tax year 2013 where she failed to report $336,865 of income she received from her business.

“Those who file federal taxes on the behalf of others have a responsibility to follow the law and conduct business honestly and ethically,” Joseph stated. “I want to thank the IRS agents and prosecutors assigned to this case for their hard work in holding this tax preparer accountable.”

“As a paid preparer, Deborah Turner was afforded a high level of trust from both her clients and the United States government,” Special Agent in Charge, Thomas J. Holloman, III, IRS – Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office, stated.  “Turner violated that trust when she filed false income tax returns for herself and others, earning herself significant jail time.  IRS - CI will continue to pursue the prosecution of return preparers who engage in the same or similar criminal activities.”

IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Shreveport felon was sentenced to 57 months in prison for illegally possessing a pistol after being convicted of multiple felonies.

Gabriel Jones, 37, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the January 26, 2018 guilty plea, Shreveport police officers were executing a warrant for someone else on August 7, 2017 at Jones’ residence. During a search of the residence, police found marijuana in plain view, and they found a Ruger, Model P85, 9 mm pistol, crack cocaine and additional marijuana in the back bedroom closet. The pistol had a 30-round extended magazine inside it. The other occupants of the residence denied ownership of the gun and said it belonged to Jones. Police also searched Jones’ cell phone and found images and data showing the pistol belonged to him.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Tuesday to five years and five months in prison for possessing drugs and firearms.

LaWarron Cummings, 34, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the April 5, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents received a tip that Cummings was conducting drug sales in the Martin Luther King area of Shreveport, and he possessed multiple firearms. Shreveport police located Cummings at a residence where police found him in possession of marijuana, one Century Arms SKS semiautomatic rifle; a RG17, Caliber: .38 mm, Derringer; and ammunition.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF, State of Louisiana Probation and Parole Division, and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Converse felon pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing two rifles, a revolver and a shotgun that he pawned.

Joseph Seth Rivers, 35, of Converse, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents discovered that on August 20, 2016 in Many, Louisiana, Rivers had pawned four firearms: a Smith & Wesson revolver, model: 66, caliber .357; a Ruger rifle, model: 10-22, caliber 22LR; a Browning shotgun, model BPS, caliber 16 gauge; and a Remington rifle, model: 700, caliber .270. Pawn shop staff provided a copy of Rivers’ driver’s license to law enforcement, which he had presented when pawning the firearms. Rivers is not allowed to possess firearms as he has been previously convicted of a felony for aggravated assault with a firearm in 2009.

Rivers faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of October 24, 2018.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney a Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that the ex-wife of a former warden for the Avoyelles Correctional Center pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Tonia Bandy Cain, 43, of Moreauville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the guilty plea, Nathan Burl Cain II, 51, also of Moreauville, was the warden of Avoyelles Correctional Center located in Cottonport, Louisiana, and Tonia Cain served as the manager of the business office of the facility. They are accused of using Louisiana Department of Corrections credit cards to purchase items for personal use while misrepresenting that the items were bought for official use between December 2012 and January 2016. The defendants are also accused of structuring purchases to evade state purchasing restrictions.

Tonia Cain faces up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The court set sentencing for October 9, 2018. Nathan Cain was indicted for one count of conspiracy and 17 counts of wire fraud.  

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

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Thursday to making threatening communications to the Lafayette office of U.S. Representative Clay Higgins.

Sohail Rana, 60, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of threats by interstate communications.  According to the guilty plea, Rana called Higgins’ Lafayette office on July 17, 2017 while in Colorado and spoke to his district director.  Rana was described as being irate, cursing and screaming during the call.  He said that he would end Higgins’ career and kill Higgins.  The district director noted the phone number and reported the call within minutes to his chief of staff in Washington, D.C.  Rana also made five subsequent calls that day with no additional threats.  Rana took no steps toward following through on the original threat.  The phone number used to call the office was traced to Rana’s cell phone, and he was later arrested in Colorado.

Rana faces up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for October 9, 2018.

The FBI, U.S. Capitol Police-Threat Assessment Section, Lafayette Police Department and the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an Abbeville man pleaded guilty Monday to illegally possessing a pistol.

Carlin Jerrid Montgomery, 38, of Abbeville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Montgomery’s home on April 28, 2017 and found a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition. The handgun was concealed in the exterior shell of a black metal stereo tuner lying on the floor under Montgomery’s bedroom window. The defendant was convicted on June 11, 2002 for possession of crack cocaine and is not allowed to possess a firearm.

Montgomery faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of September 28, 2018.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Jeanerette man pleaded guilty Wednesday to resisting, attacking and threatening a Chitimacha police officer.     

Barry David Bryce 61, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to assaulting a police officer. According to the guilty plea, a Chitimacha tribal police officer pulled over Bryce’s vehicle on September 23, 2017 on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. After conducting a number of field sobriety tests and observing Bryce, the officer arrested him, and after placing handcuffs on him, Bryce began making threats of violence against the officer and kicked the officer. Bryce also resisted the officer’s attempt to put him in a police vehicle.

Bryce faces up to a year in prison, a year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine.

Jurisdiction in Indian Country is based upon the unique sovereign relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes. Congress has criminalized certain acts that take place in Indian Country. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes all felony cases arising in Indian Country that violate federal law.

The Chitimacha Tribal Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal prisoner in Oakdale pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to escape by climbing over a razor wire perimeter fence.

Lucas Gregory Woodard, 41, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Center in Oakdale, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of attempted escape. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. According to the guilty plea’s factual basis, U.S. Bureau of Prison staff at the Federal Correctional Center in Oakdale discovered two inmates, Woodard and codefendant Nicholas Bickle, 40, ensnared in razor wire on the perimeter fence and ground that encompassed the correction center on October 11, 2017. Staff had to pry open and cut the coils of razor wire in several places in order to remove Woodard and Bickle.

The defendants face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Bickle pleaded guilty on June 6, 2018 to one count of attempted escape. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced October 1, 2018

The FBI and U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.

NEW ORLEANS, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a New Orleans man was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for viewing child pornography.

Michael Calagna, 66, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman on one count of accessing or viewing child pornography. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement began investigating an online video teleconferencing service in 2015 that specialized in sharing child pornography to its viewers. The agents recorded the presentations and noted that Calagna was a viewer at his New Orleans home. During the video chats, Calagna expressed his interest in pornography showing children ages five and up.

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

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

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Honduras who was arrested in Sulphur, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Wednesday to re-entering the United States illegally after having been previously removed from the United States four times.

Boney D. Cruz-Funez, 31, of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the guilty plea, on April 11, 2018, Sulphur police conducted a traffic stop on Cruz-Funez’s vehicle on Interstate 10. After the stop, he admitted to being in the country illegally.  Cruz-Funez was removed from the United States previously on four occasions with the last removal taking place on May 28, 2013 from San Antonio, Texas.

Cruz-Funez faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for November 19, 2018.

United States Border Patrol and the Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a felon from West Monroe was sentenced last week to 21 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.

Marquarius D. York, 22, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced June 13, 2018 by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the February 5, 2018 guilty plea, a resident on Mitchell Avenue in West Monroe on June 29, 2017 reported seeing a man who was later identified as York. A subsequent search led to police locating York hiding in a trash can as well as the firearm that he fired in the street. The weapon was a Cougar 800, 9mm caliber pistol. York told police he knew he was not allowed to possess the firearm as he had been previously convicted of a felony. York has a 2013 conviction from Ouachita Parish for attempted simple burglary and a 2015 Ouachita Parish conviction for attempted simple escape.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make out neighborhoods safe for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Session announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport felon was sentenced last week to 120 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine and a pistol in his car.

William Charles Riggs, 44, of Shreveport, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to the March 13, 2018 guilty plea, Louisiana State Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Riggs’ vehicle on April 28, 2017 in Bossier Parish. The trooper observed the car straddling the center line, and when the traffic stop was initiated, the car sped off at a high rate of speed. The car eventually crashed, and Riggs escaped on foot. He was later apprehended. Troopers searched the vehicle and found 27.21 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded model 22; .40 caliber Glock pistol.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

The ATF, DEA, Louisiana State Police and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Honduras pleaded guilty last week to possessing a pistol after being arrested in West Monroe.

Medardo Zuniga, 36, of Honduras, pleaded guilty June 13, 2018 before U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty to one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. According to the guilty plea, a West Monroe police officer conducted a traffic stop on a truck Zuniga was a passenger in on September 15, 2017. Three individuals were in the vehicle including Zuniga. After a search of the vehicle, an empty pistol magazine was found on Zuniga, and a Taurus pistol, model Millenium G2, caliber 9mm with an obliterated serial number was found on the floorboard where he had been sitting. After his arrest, he admitted to being in the United States illegally and to possessing the pistol. The defendant was arrested in 2007 for driving unlawfully and was deported on November 14, 2007.

Zuniga faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of October 2, 2018.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make out neighborhoods safe for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Session announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Gretna man was sentenced Monday to 121 months in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine after Lafayette police officers recovered multiple controlled substances and a weapon from his former residence.

Don Edmond Washington, 29, of Gretna, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the March 15, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents searched Washington’s former home in Lafayette on May 17, 2017 and found methamphetamine, heroin, buprenorphine, Oxycodone, Alprazolam, one HK USP compact .45 caliber pistol with one magazine, six .45 caliber rounds and $440.

The DEA, ATF, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a former office manager of a Cameron company pleaded guilty last week to stealing more than $91,000 from her employer.

Belinda Miltenberger, 47, of Cameron, Louisiana, pleaded guilty June 13, 2018 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of wire fraud. According to the guilty plea’s factual basis, Miltenberger was the office manager for a seafood processing and wholesale company located in Cameron. Her supervisors were in Seattle, Washington. Starting in January 2016 until about February 2017, Miltenberger stole cash from seafood sales. Instead of depositing certain cash sales into the company’s bank account, she kept the money for personal use. She then falsified business records to cover her abuse. When the company became concerned about account balances, they asked Miltenberger to prepare an end-of-year financial statement. In response, she created fraudulent financial reports and sent them to her supervisors to continue to conceal her scheme. She embezzled a total of $91,846.25 during the course of the scheme.

Miltenberger faces up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for October 1, 2018.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Willis is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the vice president of Explo Systems Inc. pleaded guilty Thursday to a criminal conspiracy at Camp Minden that led to an explosion, completing the prosecution of this matter.

William Terry Wright, 64, of Bossier City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to conspiring to violate federal law.

Explo Systems Inc. is a private company whose primary business operations involved the demilitarization of military munitions and the subsequent resale of the recovered explosive materials for mining operations. According to the guilty plea, Wright was the vice president of operations at Explo and oversaw the demilitarization operations. The U.S. Army awarded Explo a contract on March 24, 2010 to dispose of 450,000 155mm artillery propelling charges designated as M119A2 for $2,902,500. The Army and Explo officials later amended the contract on March 6, 2012 to dispose of 1,350,000 propellant charges for $8,617,500.  The contract required Explo to properly store and dispose of the demilitarized M6 propellant, which is a solid, granular, explosive material. The contract also required Explo to document the sale of the demilitarized M6 propellant by completing an End User Certificate (EUC). On the EUC, the purchaser of the demilitarized M6 propellant certified the purchase and compliance with applicable federal laws. Once the EUCs were certified, Explo submitted the EUCs to the Army.

Wright and other Explo officials and representatives conspired from January 2010 to November 2012 to defraud the United States by submitting false EUCs to the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Center (JMC) to dispose of hazardous waste at unpermitted facilities and improperly store explosives. This caused the government to pay money to the conspirators to which they were not entitled. They also moved and improperly stored M6 propellant in order to prevent government officials from discovering the improperly stored M6 propellant. Wright and others also instructed lower-level employees to hide and conceal improperly stored demilitarized M6 propellant and reactive hazardous waste from government officials during inspections.

Additionally, from June 2011 and continuing to October 2012, Explo officials submitted false EUCs to the JMC showing sales of demilitarized M6 propellant to third parties, when the sales did not occur.  Explo officials, including Wright, also did not inform or notify the third-party EUC certifiers that Explo would submit the executed EUCs to the JMC as proof of sale of demilitarized M6.  Wright submitted and caused to be submitted EUCs with forged and or fabricated signatures. The submission of false EUCs further concealed Explo’s inability to perform the requirements of the contract.

On October 15, 2012, an explosion occurred at a munitions storage igloo on Camp Minden. The explosion contained approximately 124,190 pounds of smokeless powder and a box van trailer containing approximately 42,240 pounds of demilitarized M6 propellant. The damage destroyed the igloo and trailer, shattered windows of dwellings within a four-mile radius, and derailed 11 rail cars near the storage igloo.  

Wright faces five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. As part of the plea agreement, Wright agreed that he owes $149,032.80 restitution. Sentencing is set for August 30, 2018.

“I thank our federal and state law enforcement partners for their commitment to protecting Louisiana’s citizens and environment,” Joseph stated.  “Those who try to cheat the taxpayers while endangering the well-being of our community will be held accountable.”

“The guilty pleas entered by the defendants in this case are the results of the uncompromising work by DCIS, our investigative partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure the integrity of the Department of Defense procurement process by penalizing government contractors who choose profit over quality and safety,” commented John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Field Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.  “DCIS remains committed to pursuing and bringing to justice anyone who uses fraud and deception to undermine our critical warfighting missions and the safety of our communities that support DoD activities.”

Explo owner David Alan Smith, 62, of Winchester, Kentucky; Program Manager Kenneth Wayne Lampkin, 65, of Haughton, Louisiana; Traffic and Inventory Control Manager Lionel Wayne Koons, 59, of Haughton; and Director of Engineering and Environmental Control Charles Ferris Callihan, 68, of Shreveport, were all charged in the conspiracy. Smith pleaded guilty December 14, 2017 to the conspiracy count and one count of making a false statement; Koons pleaded guilty on April 24, 2018 to one count of making a false statement; Lampkin pleaded guilty May 14, 2018 to one count of making a false statement; and Callihan pleaded guilty on June 8, 2018 to a one-count bill of information charging false representations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Sentencings are set for August 30, 2018.

The Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI and Louisiana State Police-Emergency Service Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and J. Aaron Crawford are prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced today that a prosecutor with the state Attorney General’s office would be designated as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in an effort to help reduce violent crime in the Monroe area.

The addition of another federal prosecutor in Monroe is in addition to the two violent crime prosecutors that were recently authorized for U.S. Attorney Joseph’s office as part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing effort to increase targeted prosecutions of violent crime through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  In the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana has brought approximately 115 criminal indictments charging more than 200 defendants with firearm and drug related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms.  These prosecutions represent approximately three times the number of such cases that have been brought in previous years.

The PSN program is a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office involving local, state and federal law enforcement.  In the Monroe area, participants include the ATF, FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, Ouachita Parish District Attorney’s Office, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Monroe Police Department.  The program has been proven to be successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone.  United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a crime reductions strategy involving PSN.

“I want to thank Attorney General Landry for his commitment and assistance to our joint effort to reduce violent crime in Northeast Louisiana,” Joseph stated.  ”In the last year, we have substantially increased violent crime arrests and prosecutions in the District, which is clearly making our neighborhoods and communities safer. Given our collaboration with Attorney General Landry’s office and the hard work of our state, local and federal law enforcement partners in Northeast Louisiana, we fully expect that these efforts will reduce violent crime here in Monroe and throughout the area.”

“When I became Attorney General, one of my priorities was to strengthen my office’s working relationship with our federal partners,” Landry said. “I share U.S. Attorney Joseph’s vision to make our communities safer by working together; and we are optimistic that by offering one of our prosecutors to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, prosecutions will be done in a quicker and more efficient manner.”

“The Project Safe Neighborhood initiative is a comprehensive, coordinated, and community-based approach that we use to reduce and deter violent crime,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols.   “It is through this collaborative effort that we truly make our communities safer.”

The Western District of Louisiana consists of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana. This area covers the cities of Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and Shreveport.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two defendants, one from New Jersey and one from Florida, who were arrested during a Lake Charles traffic stop were sentenced Monday for possession of 4 pounds of methamphetamine packaged as Mexican candy.

Javier Munoz, 51, of Vineland, New Jersey, was sentenced to 165 months in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Beljavier Rodriguez, 26, of Bradenton, Florida, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release on one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering. United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey presided over the hearing. According to a joint factual stipulation in the record of the guilty plea, the defendants were traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 on September 9, 2016. A Lake Charles Police officer stopped the vehicle for speeding. The officer found a secret compartment underneath the car that contained two bags that appeared to be professionally printed bags of Mexican candy. Within the bags were 21 individually wrapped bags containing methamphetamine that weighed a total of about 4 pounds.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake Charles Police Department as part of the Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Fort Polk soldier pleaded guilty Monday to manufacturing and detonating a chemical weapon in the Kisatchie National Forest adjacent to the Fort Polk Army installation.

Ryan Keith Taylor, 24, of New Llano, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to producing, possessing and using a chemical weapon in violation of federal law.  According to the guilty plea, Taylor manufactured and detonated a chemical weapon on April 12, 2017 in the Kisatchie National Forest that resulted in the release of highly toxic chlorine gas into the atmosphere.

Taylor faces up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for September 12, 2018.

The FBI, U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command, Fort Polk Military Police and the Directorate of Emergency Services, Louisiana State Police, and the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis E. Robinson are prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT / MONROE / ALEXANRIA / LAKE CHARLES / LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph and the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force announced the availability of approximately $159,488 in PSN grants funds for the Western District of Louisiana.  The Department of Justice, the Office of Justice Programs and the Bureau of Justice Assistance is seeking applications for funding of a grant under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  Approximately $143,539 of the grant funds will be designated for grants under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program to fund new and/or current comprehensive gun crime and gang violence reduction strategies in our district.

PSN furthers the Department of Justice=s mission to reduce violent crime by providing support to state, local and tribal efforts to create safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crimes and gang violence committed with firearms. 

Various types of single or multi‑grantee grant proposals are welcome including those that address the following: 

• Gang violence and gun violence reduction, deterrence, prevention, community outreach and education; 
• Enforcement, adjudication and supervision programs; 
• Prisoner reentry programs; or
• Other innovative related projects.

Grant proposals must be submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATTN: PSN Grant Competition, 800 Lafayette Street, Suite 2200, Lafayette, LA 70501, no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27, 2018.

The FY 2018 PSN Grant Announcement, OMB No. 1121-0329 can be found at www.bja.gov/funding/PSNFormula18.pdf. Please also visit the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office website at: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla, as well as www.psn.gov or www.bja.gov/programs/psn for more particulars on this grant.

Interested applicants may also contact Assistant U.S. Attorney and PSN Coordinator Jamilla A. Bynog at (337) 262-6618 for additional information. 

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lake Charles man previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing a sawed-off shotgun in addition to other firearms and trafficking drugs.

Mark Washington, 45, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of possession of a shotgun with a barrel of less than 18 inches in length and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. According to the guilty plea, members of the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Taskforce responded to a report of drug activity at a home on April 18, 2017 at Hinton Drive in Lake Charles. Upon arriving at the scene, taskforce agents found Washington standing in the driveway of the residence with two men inside a car. Agents searched the residence and found one Sigarms Model 250 semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing 12 live rounds; one Glock Model 36, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol containing a magazine with four live rounds; one sawed-off Stevens Model 940E, .410 gauge break-action shotgun; and one sawed-off 20 gauge break-action shotgun of unknown make and model. They also found loose synthetic marijuana on the television stand in the living room, and they located 936 pills, two pink plastic bags of synthetic marijuana, a cigarette pack containing a glass vile with drug residue, a cellophane baggie with five ecstasy pills and $1,145. Washington said he lived in the residence and had bought the guns on the streets. Washington also admitted to being a convicted felon, and that he was not allowed to be around firearms.

Washington faces up to 10 years in prison and a 10,000 fine for the firearms count, and he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the drug count. He also faces up three years of supervised release and forfeiture of the seized weapons. The court set a sentencing date of October 1, 2018.

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.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as 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.

The ATF and Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Taskforce conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two illegal aliens from Mexico pleaded guilty this week to reentering the United States after having been previously removed. United States Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay presided over the hearings. The pleas will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. The court set the defendants’ sentencing hearings for October 1, 2018.

Illegal alien arrested in Allen Parish reentered United States 5th time

Bartolo Marquez-Cantera, 36, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of illegal reentry of a previously deported alien. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents found Marquez-Cantera on March 28, 2018, in Allen Parish. After reviewing his record, he was found to have been removed from the United States on four previous occasions with the most recent removal being on October 6, 2011.

Marquez-Cantera faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. United States Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case.

Illegal alien arrested near Lake Charles reentered country 4th time

Sergio Garcia-Mateo, 30, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of illegal reentry of a previously deported alien. According to the guilty plea, U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle containing nine people on February 21, 2018 that was traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 near Lake Charles. Garcia-Mateo was questioned and stated that he was a citizen of Mexico. His file was reviewed, and he was found to be in the United States illegally after having been removed from the country in March of 2014, February of 2017 and January of 2018.

Garcia-Mateo faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.

Illegal alien arrested in Cameron Parish reentered U.S. after 2010 removal

Jose Salvador Meza-Vasquez, 28, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of illegal reentry of a previously deported alien. According to the guilty plea’s factual basis, a Cameron Parish Sheriff’s deputy arrested Meza-Vasquez for a traffic infraction on March 12, 2018. He admitted to the deputy that he was in the United States illegally. After reviewing his record, agents discovered he had been removed from the United States in 2010 and had not received permission to reenter the country.

Meza-Vasquez faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. United States Border Patrol and the Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced last week to five years and 10 months in prison for possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and use of a firearm in a drug trafficking offense.

Xavier Breonte Strickland, 29, of Shreveport, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. On June 2, 2017, officers went to Strickland’s residence to serve a parole warrant, and after someone opened the door, officers saw Strickland exit a bedroom.  Officers searched the house and found a loaded Ruger 1911 semiautomatic pistol in the closet of the bedroom where they saw Strickland. Next to the bag was a black zipper pouch that contained a digital scale and a bag containing 31 grams of marijuana. 

The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/MONROE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES, La. – On the 500th day of the Trump Administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the Department of Justice is taking a dramatic step to increase resources to combat violent crime, enforce our immigration laws and help roll back the devastating opioid crisis.

In the largest increase in decades, the Department of Justice is allocating 311 new Assistant U.S. Attorneys to assist in priority areas. Those allocations are as follows: 190 violent crime prosecutors, 86 civil enforcement prosecutors, and 35 additional immigration prosecutors. Many of the civil enforcement AUSAs will support the newly created Prescription Interdiction & Litigation Task Force, which targets the opioid crisis at every level of the distribution system.

“Under President Trump’s strong leadership, the Department of Justice is going on offense against violent crime, illegal immigration, and the opioid crisis—and today we are sending in reinforcements,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “We have a saying in my office that a new federal prosecutor is ‘the coin of the realm.’  When we can eliminate wasteful spending, one of my first questions to my staff is if we can deploy more prosecutors to where they are needed. I have personally worked to re-purpose existing funds to support this critical mission, and as a former federal prosecutor myself, my expectations could not be higher. These exceptional and talented prosecutors are key leaders in our crime-fighting partnership. This addition of new Assistant U.S. Attorney positions represents the largest increase in decades.”

In the Western District of Louisiana, two of these AUSAs will focus on prosecuting violent crime and one will focus on civil enforcement of federal law.

“Upon taking office, I promised to aggressively prosecute violent crime throughout the district while ensuring immigration offenses, public corruption, and our efforts to stem the opioid epidemic remain top priorities,” Joseph stated. “These additional prosecutors will assist in achieving our objectives by bringing more criminal prosecutions against those who threaten the safety and wellbeing of our citizens.  These positions also give our office more capacity to pursue those who abuse government benefits and otherwise cheat the United States, by bringing civil actions against them.  I want to thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the opportunity to hire additional Assistant United States Attorneys to serve the communities in our district.  We will work with our federal agencies as well as our state and local partners to ensure we make the most of these added resources.”

To see more information on the locations of the 311 Assistant U.S. Attorney positions click here.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Shreveport man previously convicted of a felony was sentenced to 37 months in prison for possessing a pistol and ammunition in his car.

Demond Lamont Hill Sr., 37, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. On July 31, 2017, Shreveport Police responded to a call about people dealing drugs on Herndon Street. Officers heard loud music when approaching Hill, and he jumped in his car. Officers approached Hill’s car and saw a gun on the driver’s seat beside the center console. Hill said the gun was not his but knew it was in the car. Hill said he was on parole and a convicted felon. The firearm was a Taurus semi-automatic 9 mm pistol. The officer also found 12 rounds of ammunition. Hill has several felony convictions in Caddo Parish and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. His felony convictions include aggravated battery in 2001, drugs in 2006 and 2007, and firearm possession in 2007.

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.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as 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.

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man previously convicted of a felony was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison for possessing a pistol found in his residence.

Kenneth D. Mayweather, 21, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the February 7, 2018 guilty plea, the Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Street Level Investigative Unit searched a Shreveport residence August 3, 2017 during a drug investigation. Three males were taken into custody during the search with two apprehended in the backyard after attempting to flee the residence. Also during the search, law enforcement agents found a Glock, model 23, .40 caliber pistol and 11 rounds of ammunition. Mayweather admitted to owning the firearm and that he was not allowed to have one as he has a prior felony conviction.

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.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as 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.

The ATF and Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Unit conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that an Alexandria man previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty to possessing a semiautomatic handgun discovered during an opioid sting.

Eric Darnell Tison, 47, of Alexandria, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, a U.S. postal inspector contacted the Louisiana State Police Narcotics Unit on October 13, 2015 in Alexandria after intercepting a package with suspected narcotics destined for a home in Pineville, Louisiana. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement found approximately 1,000 pills of suspected methadone hydrochloride, a synthetic opioid, in the package. State police obtained a state search warrant on October 14, 2015 for the home in Pineville and executed a controlled delivery of the package, which Tison accepted at the front door. After Tison took it into the house, state police executed the warrant and found a Cobra .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol with five rounds of ammunition and some marijuana in the master bedroom along with the package of methadone pills. Tison, a convicted felon, was the only person home at the time of the search.

Tison faces five to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the seized weapon and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of August 30, 2018. 

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.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as 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.

The ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Morgan City man pleaded guilty Wednesday to failing to report more than $250,000 in income on his 2012 tax return.

Victory Nam Ho, 39, of Morgan City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of filing a false tax return. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, Ho engaged in stock transactions and made $251,196 in 2012, but when he filed his taxes, he reported $14,742 as his income. As a result, he paid no income tax that year, which resulted in a loss of $69,167 to the U.S. Treasury.

The defendant faces up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, restitution and a $100,000 fine. The court set an August 31, 2018 sentencing date.

The IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Morgan City man was sentenced Thursday to five years and three months in prison for using the internet to download and possess child pornography.

Joshua Landry, 40, of Morgan City, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of receiving child pornography. He was also sentenced to serve 10 years of supervised release following his incarceration, and upon his release from custody he will be required to register as a sex offender. According to the October 26, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified Landry as downloading child pornography to an electronic device in his home. Agents searched Landry’s home on February 8, 2017, and found Landry’s cell phone, which contained child pornography videos. Landry also admitted to agents that he downloaded child pornography.

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

Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Lafayette FBI office number is (337) 262-2164.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty Wednesday to using his phone and an online account to acquire and possess child pornography.

Paul Armenta-Bojorquez, 33, of Mexico, but who resides in Abbeville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of possession of child pornography. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents interviewed Armenta-Bojorquez on November 13, 2017 regarding possession of child pornography. He told agents that he received the child pornography through his phone and then transferred it onto an online account. Law enforcement agents reviewed the material found on the online account, and it contained child pornography. Some of the material was of children who were younger than 12.

Armenta-Bojorquez faces up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, mandatory registration as a sex offender and up to a $250,000 fine.  The court set sentencing for August 22, 2018.

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

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

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crime Unit conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced last week to two and a half years in prison for reentering the United States after being deported four times.

Fernando Garcia-Lopez, 37, of Tumbiscatio, Michocan, Mexico, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of illegal reentry of an illegal alien. According to the February 1, 2018 guilty plea, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a controlled buy of marijuana on March 9, 2017 at Garcia-Lopez’s Abbeville, Louisiana, residence. He was arrested and provided a false identity to law enforcement. After his actual identity was discovered, he was also found to have been deported in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Haughton man pleaded guilty Tuesday to distribution of methamphetamine the defendant obtained in Dallas.

Jason Rich, 47, of Haughton, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents obtained information that Rich was a methamphetamine and marijuana distributer in Haughton. After conducting an investigation, agents learned that Rich may have traveled to Dallas, Texas, to obtain drugs and was on his way back. A Louisiana State Police trooper stopped Rich’s vehicle May 3, 2018 near the intersection of Interstate-220 and Louisiana Highway 80. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a semi-automatic handgun, 141.3 grams of methamphetamine, 36.5 grams of the marijuana, and three blue and white capsules containing approximately 31.1 grams of methamphetamine. Rich said he knew about the firearm and had purchased 4 ounces of methamphetamine from two different sources in the Dallas area.

Rich faces 10 years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and up to a $10 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of September 7, 2018.

The case was investigated by the DEA and the DEA task force, which consists of state and local agencies like the Louisiana State Police and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a federal grand jury indicted a Shreveport surgeon for stealing disability benefits.

John T. Owings, 58, of Shreveport, was charged with one count of theft of government property and one count of concealing that he was ineligible for Social Security benefits. According to the indictment, Owings applied for Social Security disability benefits in March of 2007. After being awarded the benefits, he was required to report if he began working again. He began working in 2012 as a surgeon for the University of California-Davis where was paid $22,000 a month. He was hired in 2013 as the chief of trauma and the medical director of University Health System in Shreveport where he is being paid $41,400 a month. Based on his employment, Owings was ineligible to receive disability benefits. However, he concealed the employment changes from the Social Security Administration, and as a result, he received more than $200,000 in government money that he was not entitled to.

Owings faces up to 10 years in prison for the theft count and five years in prison for the concealing event count. He also faces up to five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count.

The Social Security Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.

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

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – Members of the public join with law enforcement across the country for National Police Week – May 13 through May 19 – to honor law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.

“One officer death is too many,” U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.  “While we are inexpressibly grateful to have had a decrease in the number of officers killed in the line of duty last year, the number is still far too high. At the Department of Justice, we honor the memories of the fallen and we pray for their families. We are also following President Trump's Executive Orders to back the women and men in blue, to enhance law enforcement safety, and to reduce violent crime in America. Those priorities will help keep every American safe, including those who risk their lives for us. As always, we have their backs and they have our thanks.”

“Those fallen officers honored during National Police Week represent the best of us,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “They gave their lives so our communities can be safe and secure. Our thoughts, prayers and gratitude go out to their families and friends.”

This year, the names of 93 officers killed in the line of duty in 2017 and some prior years were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 30th Annual 2018 Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13. These names include officers who were killed during 2017 and officers who died in previous years who have not been previously added to the Memorial. The fallen officers of 2017 include two members of the law enforcement community in the Western District of Louisiana:

• Justin Levi Beard, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, who died April 30, 2017; and
• Michael Paul Middlebrook, Lafayette Police Department, who died October 1, 2017.

To assist local public safety officers in the work that they do, the U.S. Attorney’s Office offers safety and survival training throughout the year. The courses are open to federal, state, local, military and tribal law enforcement officers.

For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org. So that people across the country can experience this unique and powerful ceremony, the vigil will be livestreamed beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time on May 13. To register for this free online event, visit www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.

To access the FBI’s 2017 Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted report, please visit www.fbi.gov.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that two Texas men were arrested today for transporting more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl.

Felipe Rodriguez, 21, of McAllen, Texas, and Brandon Montoya, 23 of Kaufman, Texas, were arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby presided over the initial appearance hearing, which was held this afternoon. According to the complaint filed during the hearing, a Louisiana State Police trooper conducted a traffic stop today on an SUV on Interstate-20 at mile marker 31 going eastbound. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a compartment in rear cargo area. Through a hole in the compartment, he could see a plastic bag containing an unknown substance. The vehicle was brought to Louisiana State Police Troop G headquarters. Upon a more thorough search, they found 10 plastic 1-kilogram bags containing fentanyl. The defendants admitted to transporting the drugs. They said they had been approached in Houston to travel to California to obtain the drugs. They were then instructed to drive to Atlanta, Georgia, where they would be paid for the delivery.

The defendants face up to 10 years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The defendants will remain in custody until the detention hearing, which was set for May 15, 2018.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. In recent years it has become more widely available in the United States and grown as a threat to public safety. It only takes a very small amount of fentanyl or its derivatives- which can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin or mucus membranes (such as being inhaled through the nose or mouth)- to result in severe adverse reactions including death. For more information about fentanyl, visit www.dea.gov/druginfo/fentanyl.

The DEA, Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields is prosecuting the case.

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