Western District of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. – Sergio Valdez, 28, of Zwolle, Louisiana, has been sentenced for distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Valdez to 87 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. 

On March 22, 2023, federal and state law enforcement agents conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Valdez in Sabine Parish, Louisiana. Agents were able to obtain information that Valdez sold an individual the methamphetamine outside of his home. The drugs which were sold by Valdez were sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Southeast Laboratory for testing and found to have a net weight of 54.4 grams of pure methamphetamine.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment on June 28, 2023, charging Valdez with one count of distribution of methamphetamine and he pleaded guilty to the charge on November 7, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William C. Gaskins.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of Lionel George Somersall, Jr., 45, of Many, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Somersall was sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 195 months (16 years, 3 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

According to information presented in court, on September 13, 2021, Somersall and a female were driving in a vehicle which did not have a proper license plate. A Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy performed a traffic stop of the vehicle. Somersall was the driver of the vehicle and did not have a valid driver’s license. A K9 deputy was brought to the scene and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.  After searching the vehicle, deputies found a Charter Arms .38 Special revolver inside. Both Somersall and his passenger were convicted felons and were prohibited from possessing a firearm.  Law enforcement agents conducted a search of the gun’s history and found that it had been reported as stolen. Somersall and his passenger were both arrested.

Agents learned through their investigation that Somersall’s passenger told a co-defendant that she had thrown a bag full of illegal drugs out the window of the vehicle prior to them being stopped. A subsequent search was conducted of the area and deputies found a bag containing ammunition and receipts to Somersall. In addition, they discovered approximately 170 grams of methamphetamine inside the bag. Law enforcement agents were able to examine Somersall’s phone and found text messages discussing the distribution of methamphetamine. Somersall also later admitted to law enforcement agents that he possessed the firearm located inside the vehicle.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody.

The investigation and conviction of Somersall is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencings of four co-defendants involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Western District of Louisiana. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell has sentenced the following defendants in this case:

Brian Jesus Garcia Pena, 34, a federal prison inmate, was sentenced to 235 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. This sentence will run consecutive to the federal prison sentence Pena is currently serving.

Isidro Chavarria, 42, a federal prison inmate, was sentenced in October 2023 to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. This sentence will run consecutive to the federal prison sentence Chavarria is currently serving.

Darius Nelams, 38, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced to 160 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Andres Ballesteros Medina, 45, of Springhill, Louisiana, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Law enforcement agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) began this investigation in 2021 after learning that Pena, a federal inmate incarcerated at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, was coordinating a large scale drug distribution from inside the prison. Through their investigation, agents learned that Pena was using contraband phones smuggled into the prison in order to communicate with Cartel members and others involved in the conspiracy. In May and June of 2021, agents seized multiple pounds of methamphetamine that had been sent through the mail from California after Pena and his co-defendant, Salvador Bucio, who worked as a go-between, coordinated the purchase of the methamphetamine in Mexico.

In June 2021, Pena’s cell was searched, and two contraband phones were located. Agents located multiple messages on the phone with Pena coordinating drug deals, as well as CashApp payments from multiple individuals, including Bucio and a payment from the wife of Isidro Chavarria. Chavarria, another federal prison inmate at USP Pollock, was also communicating with his co-conspirators on contraband phones and in fact, was directing his wife and other parties to distribute methamphetamine that Pena was sending her.

In September 2021, law enforcement agents conducted a controlled delivery of packages containing large amounts of methamphetamine, which were sent by Andres Ballesteros Medina in California through the U.S. Postal Service to an address in Springhill. Agents observed Medina drop the package off at the Post Office in California and conducted surveillance in Springhill where they observed Nelams arrive to pick up the package at the address in Springhill and open it. Nelams then fled the scene and left behind his cell phone containing text messages indicating he would deliver the narcotics and photos of same. All of the above defendants pleaded guilty to the charges rather than going to trial.

Salvador Bucio, 34, from Washington, is the one remaining defendant in this case and he is currently a fugitive. Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Bucio should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI and USPIS and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.

The investigation and conviction of these defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Edward L. Angel, Sr., 70, of Shreveport, appeared before United States District Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby today to enter a guilty plea, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Angel pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of government funds. In addition to pleading guilty, Angel agreed to pay restitution in the total amount of $141,972.89.

In February, Angel was found guilty by a federal jury of three counts of making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a week-long trial. The jury was deadlocked as to the remaining counts in the indictment charging Angel with theft of government funds and a mistrial was declared. A decision was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to proceed to a second trial against Angel on the remaining counts. The guilty plea today resolves those remaining counts, negating a second trial.

Angel is a veteran and owned and operated two businesses, ELA Group, Inc. (ELA) and Paradigm Engineers and Constructors PLLC (Paradigm). The VA has a service-disabled veteran owned small business program (SDVOSB) which is a program that provides federal contracting assistance to small businesses owned by disabled veterans by providing them the opportunity to get certain set-aside contracts. To be eligible for this program, the veteran must meet specific criteria demonstrating eligibility, ownership, and control of the small business.

In 2011 and 2012, Angel submitted forms to the SDVOSB stating that he was the President of ELA and responsible for all day-to-day responsibilities and decisions. He also submitted documentation stating he worked 40+ hours each week and his compensation was taken at the end of the year in the form of IRS Subchapter S regulations distributions. On the forms Angel submitted, he represented to SDVOSB that the reason he did not take a salary was because he chose to leave money in the corporation to keep as much working capital as possible. In 2016, Angel purchased and became the President of Paradigm. Soon after his purchase of Paradigm, he began to submit documentation to qualify the company for the SDVOSB program. He certified that he was the 100% owner of Paradigm and worked an average of 50 or more hours a week committing 5-6 hours a day to each of his entities. As a result of these representations, ELA and Paradigm were accepted into the SDVOSB program and received millions of dollars in set-aside contracts from the SDVOSB.

From on or about November 2013, Angel also received Individual Unemployability from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). Angel submitted documents to substantiate his disability claims for the VBA stating he was unable to work and had been unemployed since 2008. As a result of his misrepresentations to VBA, Angel admitted that he received $93,819.29 in IU payments that he was not entitled to receive and that were deposited into his bank account in the form of monthly payments.

On June 16, 2011, Angel also applied for SSA Disability Insurance Benefits stating that he had been unable to work since 2010 due to a medical condition. The SSA approved his application to receive disability benefits. Angel admits that he failed to disclose that he owned and operated two companies and was gainfully employed. As a result of these misrepresentations, he received $48,153.60 in disability payments he was not entitled to receive.

Angel faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false statement counts.  He also faces up to 1 year in prison, not more than 1 year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000 on the theft of government funds charge.

Angel will be sentenced for the three counts of making false statements to the FAA and the count of theft of government funds on April 26, 2024.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Earl M. Campbell.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – LaDarrell C. Washington, Jr., 24, and Stacy Deshane Borner, 22, both of Shreveport, have been sentenced for illegally possessing machine guns, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Borner to 51 months in prison, and Washington to 55 months in prison. Each will serve an additional 3 years of supervised release following their release from prison.

The charges in this case stem from an incident on March 28, 2022, when officers with the Shreveport Violent Crime Abatement Team (VCAT) received information of the whereabouts of Washington and Borner, who were fugitives out of Desoto Parish.  Law enforcement officers with the VCAT arrived at the residence in Shreveport where Washington  and Borner were suspected to be, and approached the front door. The door was open, but the burglar bar door was shut, and officers heard what sounded like several people running throughout the house. Officers gave commands for the occupants to come out of the house. Eventually several occupants exited the home, including two females who leased the residence. Borner eventually made his way out of the residence.

A search warrant was obtained for the residence and officers made entry into the house. Inside the residence officers found Washington hiding in a bedroom closet. During the continued search of the house, officers found numerous firearms in the bedroom where Washington was hiding. The firearms seized were a Glock Model 17Gen4 9x19mm firearm equipped with a Glock switch (a conversion device attached to the firearm making it a machine gun), a Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 5.56 mm rifle with a drop-in auto sear (a conversion device attached to the firearm making it a machine gun), a SCCY CPX-2 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer P320 9mm pistol, and a Century Arms AK47 rifle.

Washington, Borner, and the other occupants were taken to the police station and interviewed. The two females advised officers that none of the firearms belonged to them and that the males inside the residence, including Washington and Borner, arrived that morning, each carrying at least one firearm. Through their further investigation, agents found videos from Borner’s social media of multiple individuals shooting machine guns out of car windows. Agents also obtained a rap video of Borner and a juvenile taking turns holding a Glock gun with a Glock switch, including one of the guns seized from the residence.

The seized firearms with conversion devices installed were tested by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and confirmed to be machine guns. Washington was convicted in 2019 of illegal possession of a stolen firearm and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.  Borner pleaded guilty to illegal possession of machine guns and Washington pleaded guilty to possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Demetri Goldsmith, 25, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 220 months (18 years, 4 months) in prison for assaulting federal officers at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana (“Pollock”).  The U.S. Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) manages U.S. Penitentiaries around the country, including Pollock. The sentence imposed by Judge Drell was an upward departure from the United States Sentencing Guidelines based on the severity of Goldsmith’s lengthy criminal history.

Goldsmith was convicted by a federal jury in Alexandria, Louisiana, on November 8, 2023, following a trial. Goldsmith was incarcerated at Pollock for brandishing a firearm and shooting a woman in the leg in 2016. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that on April 19, 2019, one of the female corrections officers at Pollock observed Goldsmith standing at his cell door staring at her while performing lewd acts. This was a violation of BOP inmate behavior policy and the female guard called for assistance with Goldsmith. Three other corrections officers responded to Goldsmith’s cell and ordered him to put his hands through the slot in the door in order to place handcuffs on him. Goldsmith refused and the officers opened the cell door to place him in their custody.  When they opened the door, however, Goldsmith lunged at them with a prison shank. He stabbed two of the federal officers causing injury. Officers were able to get Goldsmith in handcuffs and he celebrated the attack of the officers by yelling numerous times that he had stabbed them. Goldsmith has a long history of violence and bad behavior while in BOP custody.

“Being a correctional officer is a thankless job and is onerous on every level,” stated U.S. Attorney Brown.  “Some of the most dangerous individuals in this nation, prosecuted federally, are housed at USP Pollock.  Since Pollock is in our district, this office bears the responsibility of partnering with the Bureau of Prisons to ensure the safety of every employee.  This individual violently attacked two officers and failed to take responsibility for his actions.  As a result, our trial team convicted him, and we are extremely pleased with the Court’s decision to upward depart since this defendant fails to abide by societal and institutional rules.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Leon H. Whitten and Tennille Gilreath.

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LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two men in Lake Charles yesterday on drug and firearms charges. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the defendants as follows:

Darwin Jose Escalante-Garache, 36, a nonresident of the United States living in Gulfport, Mississippi, was sentenced to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The charges stem from a traffic stop conducted on Interstate 10 in Calcasieu Parish on September 8, 2022, by Louisiana State Police troopers. During the stop, a K-9 officer alerted positive to the odor of narcotics emitting from Escalante-Garache’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery and seizure of one kilogram of cocaine hidden in the backseat pocket of the vehicle. The defendant admitted to possessing the cocaine with the intent to distribute to others. Escalante-Garache pleaded guilty to the charge on November 13, 2023.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.

In a separate case and unrelated case, Toni January, 25, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 26 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. On March 20, 2021, a search warrant was executed by law enforcement officers at the residence of January. During the search, officers found a Glock Model 17 9mm pistol and other firearms. January was subsequently arrested and admitted that the Glock Model 17 firearm belonged to him. January has prior felony convictions for illegal possession of stolen things in 2017 and nonconsensual disclosure of a private image and possession of controlled substances in 2020. He was charged in this case with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and pleaded guilty on October 25, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lake Charles Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.

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MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two North Louisiana men were sentenced today by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty on drug and firearms charges.

Nicholas D. Moore, 31, of Ruston, was sentenced to 132 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Between August 2022 and January 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office performed five controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Moore. The purchased narcotics were sent to the DEA Laboratory for analysis and the results came back that they were methamphetamine. Law enforcement agents subsequently obtained a search warrant for a residence in Ruston where Moore had lived for several days.  During the execution of the search warrant, agents discovered multiple bags of methamphetamine, small bags of cocaine, and marijuana and over $8,000 in cash. The seized narcotics were tested at the DEA Laboratory and determined to contain methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the DEA and Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody.

Demartinas Edwards, 42, of Monroe, was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  In addition, Edwards was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000. According to information presented in court, on November 30, 2022, officers with the Monroe Police Department’s HEAT Team obtained a search warrant for a residence in Monroe and Edwards was found on the premises. Edwards had an outstanding warrant and was arrested at that time. Inside the residence, officers found a firearm in the bedroom along with other possessions that belonged to Edwards. He later admitted to officers that the firearm belonged to him and that he had found it on the street. Because of Edwards’ prior felony conviction, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Edwards pleaded guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of firearms on December 8, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Monroe Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody.

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LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Gabriel Hawthorne, 41, of Abbeville, Louisiana, has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute fentanyl in the Abbeville area.  United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Hawthorne to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Hawthorne and two co-defendants were charged in a superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl. Hawthorne went to trial on the charges and was found guilty by a federal jury on November 16, 2023 of the conspiracy charge and on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Information at trial showed that Hawthorne conspired with Frederick Malaki Thornton and another co-defendant, Andrea Mitchell, to distribute fentanyl in the Abbeville area. In March 2022, an individual exchanged a series of phone calls and text messages with Mitchell, and she agreed to sell heroin to that individual. She arranged the distribution of the heroin by communicating with Thornton, who was her boyfriend at the time, and Hawthorne, who was her supplier. Hawthorne owned a business, ZZ’s Kitchen, in Abbeville and would use that business to store the narcotics that he, Mitchell and Thornton made arrangements to sell. Mitchell also admitted that Hawthorne would mix the fentanyl before giving it to her to sell. The suspected heroin which was sold by Mitchell and Thornton were seized and sent to the DEA Laboratory for testing and resulted a positive test for fentanyl.

Hawthorne’s co-defendants Frederick Malaki Thornton and Andrea Mitchell have both pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Devoris Antonio Hardy, 23, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday on firearms charges. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Hardy to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. 

According to information presented in court, Hardy, who had ties to a Shreveport gang, was indicted on March 25, 2021, in Caddo Parish for one count of second degree murder in connection with a murder that happened in December 2020. On April 6, 2021, he was present with his counsel, formally arraigned on all charges and was released on a $250,000 bond.

Less than one year later, on March 14, 2022, Shreveport Police Department officers responded to a call about two cars shooting at each other at the corner of Youree Drive and East Washington Street in close proximity to the Montessori School for Shreveport. Upon arrival, officers located two individuals outside of a vehicle that had a gunshot hole in the rear window. Defendant Hardy was located a little further away on East Washington Street. Officers found six spent shell casings inside Hardy’s vehicle. In addition, officers found a Glock pistol, model: 22 Gen 4, Caliber: 40 in the bed of a pickup truck that belonged to an innocent person where officers learned Hardy had stashed the pistol following the shootout. The shell casings found in Hardy’s vehicle matched the Glock 22 found in the bed of the pickup truck.   

Hardy admitted to officers that while attending a hearing regarding his second degree murder charge in Caddo Parish that morning, he saw a member of a rival gang in the courtroom that he had issues with. Hardy stated that he thought they were about to fight in the courthouse. After court, he was picked up by his brother and suspected that the gang member would follow him. Hardy asked for the gun, which he stated was his friend’s fathers’ gun, because he was nervous. He told officers that shortly thereafter another vehicle approached their vehicle and opened fire. Hardy returned fire and the vehicle he was in attempted to get away. Hardy admitted that the gun found in the pickup truck was the one he used.  

Hardy was indicted in federal court for receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment in May 2022 and was held without bond due to him being a danger to the community. In August 2023, Hardy proceeded to a jury trial in Caddo Parish District Court on the second degree murder charge and the jury returned a responsive verdict of negligent homicide. He was sentenced to the maximum term of imprisonment allowed by the state statute, five years. Hardy pleaded guilty to the federal charge on October 23, 2023, and was subsequently sentenced yesterday.

“This is a dangerous individual who has a callous disregard for human life,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “We are pleased that this Court upward departed from the recommended sentencing guidelines in this case to a 36 month sentence. We are working with law enforcement at every level and District Attorney Stewart’s office to get firearms that are in the wrong hands out of those hands and put Shreveport’s most dangerous individuals in state and federal prison.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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LAKE CHARLES, La. – Arthur Dorain Deville, 50, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been sentenced on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 51 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.  Deville pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on August 16, 2023.

In 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from Dropbox, Inc. in reference to images containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) being uploaded to one of their accounts. An investigation by agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) revealed that the Dropbox account belonged to Deville.

On October 26, 2022, Deville admitted to agents with LBI and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations that the Dropbox account belonged to him, and he was the only person with access to the account. Deville also confessed to possessing the CSAM maintained in the Dropbox account. An analysis of the deleted files in Deville’s account contained CSAM involving minor children not having reached the age of puberty.

The case was investigated by Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.

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

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SHREVEPORT, La. – After a week-long trial and 15 hours of deliberating, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict late yesterday afternoon against Edward L. Angel, Sr., 70, of Shreveport, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. The jury found Angel guilty on three counts of making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). United States District Judge David C. Joseph presided over the trial.

In addition to the three counts of making false statements that Angel was convicted of, he was also charged with 76 counts of theft of government funds from the Department of Veteran Affairs and Social Security Administration. After their long deliberation, the jury was deadlocked, could not reach a verdict on those 76 counts, and Judge Joseph declared a mistrial regarding those counts. As a result, the government plans to request a new trial date for the pending 76 counts.

Testimony at trial regarding the false statement charges revealed that Angel failed to disclose to the FAA his service-related disability of Primary Lateral Sclerosis, a neurological disorder, on his Application for Airman Medical Certificate on three separate occasions. These false statements were made on documentation submitted in order for him to obtain a medical certificate to lawfully pilot his airplane.

Angel faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on the three FAA counts.  Sentencing on those counts has been set for April 26, 2024.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Department of Veteran Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Earl M. Campbell.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Juhntrayvious J. White, 20, of Shreveport, was sentenced today for illegally possessing a machine gun. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced White to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.  

According to information presented in court, on September 9, 2022, a Shreveport Police Department officer stopped White for a traffic violation on Hearne Avenue. As the officer approached the vehicle, White took off at a high rate of speed, reaching a speed of over 100 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone. The car stopped and White fled from the scene on foot and escaped. Officers found an Anderson Arms AM-15 equipped with an auto sear and White’s cell phone in the vehicle. White was later apprehended by law enforcement officers and admitted that he obtained the auto sear and converted the Anderson Arms AM-15 into a machine gun.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

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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LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Angel Rafael Cardona, 35, of Youngsville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to one count of use of a facility to cause a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. United States District Judge David C. Joseph presided over the hearing today.

According to information presented in court, in June 2023, Cardona began communicating through Whisper, an online chat application, with a user who identified as a 13-year-old female. Unbeknownst to Cardona, the user was an undercover law enforcement agent. Cardona sent a direct message to the user inquiring about a post she had made about summer school. Two days later, Cardona asked the user if they had an account on another online chat site and the agent responded that they did have a Kik account. Cardona then contacted the undercover minor female through the Kik application. These communications between the two continued from June 8, 2023, to July 10, 2023, at which time the user told Cardona that the Kik application kept crashing and to contact her through text message and provided a phone number. These text messages continued through July 24, 2023. 

From the time the conversations between the undercover agent and Cardona began, Cardona initiated conversations about sex, sexual experiences, and the undercover agent’s body. On numerous occasions, the undercover agent made reference to her age of 13. The conversations regarding her sexual inexperience increased over time becoming more graphic and detailed. Over time, Cardona began asking the undercover agent for pictures of herself and eventually, asked for images containing sexual material. On July 11 and 13, 2023, Cardona specifically and explicitly asked for the undercover agent to produce and send him child pornography. The undercover agent gave excuses of her mother’s presence in the home for not complying and Cardona instructed her to be sneaky about it in order to create the images.

Cardona brought up the idea of meeting in person on numerous occasions and eventually they agreed to meet at Veterans Park in Lafayette on July 24, 2023. The defendant agrees and admits that he intended to meet the person he believed to be a minor female for the purpose of engaging in some form of sexual activity that would be a crime under the laws of the state of Louisiana.

Cardona faces a sentence of not less than 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentencing has been set for April 25, 2024 at 10:00.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Luke Walker.

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

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Joseph Chad Castillo, 36, of Converse, Louisiana, was sentenced today announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Castillo to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms.

Information introduced in court revealed that on December 26, 2022, a deputy with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office attempted to serve an arrest warrant at a residence in Converse. While the deputy was at the residence, a vehicle drove down the driveway and stopped and the rear seat passenger, later determined to be Castillo, fled into the woods. After a brief pursuit, law enforcement officers stopped and searched the vehicle and found a Remington Model 1100 shotgun and a Remington Model 7600 rifle, as well as Castillo’s cell phone in the backseat. The rifle had an obliterated serial number and Castillo had previously stolen it from a private residence.

Castillo has two prior felony convictions, one for attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2018 in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, and another for possession of Schedule II CDS in Desoto Parish in 2017. He knew of his felony convictions and that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Castillo pleaded guilty to the charge on August 16, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg.

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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LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of two cases involving drug trafficking in the Western District of Louisiana. United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced the following defendants yesterday.

Lynol Christian, 43, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 156 months (13 years) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, for attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. According to information presented in court, on March 20, 2023, Christian traveled on a commercial airline from Baton Rouge to Los Angeles, California. While in California, Christian shipped a package containing methamphetamine via FedEx to an individual in Youngsville, Louisiana. The return label listed Christian’s own address, which is also in Youngsville. Christian returned on a commercial airline back to Baton Rouge and into the Western District of Louisiana on March 22, 2023. Employees with FedEx notified authorities of the suspicious package and notified law enforcement. The package was secured and opened and found to contain 2,255 grams of suspected methamphetamine in 5 plastic bags. The suspected narcotics were sent to the DEA Southeast Laboratory for analysis, and it was determined that the substances were in fact methamphetamine with a net weight of 2,228.3 grams.  Christian was subsequently indicted and pleaded guilty to the charge on October 18, 2023.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.

In a separate and unrelated case, Dwayne Batiste, 51, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 144 months (12 years), followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. On September 8, 2022, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at a residence on Gilbert Street in Lafayette. While searching in a bedroom of the residence, agents found documentation belonging to Batiste, including ledgers of narcotics transactions. A further search led agents to find a clear bag containing a brown substance which was later determined to be fentanyl, as well as a clear bag containing an off-white substance suspected to be heroin or cocaine. Agents also found in the residence and in Batiste’s vehicle over $13,000 in cash, digital scales and boxes of sandwich baggies. The suspected narcotics were sent to the Acadiana Crime Laboratory where they were confirmed positive for the presence of fentanyl with a neg weight of over 500 grams. Batiste was charged and pleaded guilty to knowing possessing the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it to another person.       

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Chassidy Bell, 34, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting healthcare fraud. Bell pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby on January 10, 2024.

Bell was employed as a Mental Health Specialist at Community Health Care Solutions, LLC (Community Health) which was a licensed mental health rehabilitation provider in Caddo Parish, that alleged to provide Crisis Intervention Services.  These types of services are provided to those who may experience a psychiatric crisis and are designed to interrupt a crisis experience. Crisis Intervention Services are required to be provided face to face and are authorized up to 66 hours per crisis episode and cannot exceed 14 days. According to information presented in court, from 2017 to 2020, individuals associated with Community Health devised a scheme to defraud Medicaid for services that were not rendered.

In June 2019, while an employee of Community Health, Bell began creating false progress notes for an individual who resided in the Shreveport area. The detailed notes indicated very specific behaviors on the part of the individual and that Bell modeled crisis scenarios and provided feedback to him. In truth and reality, this individual did not exist but rather his identity had been assigned to an undercover Medicaid card for a fictitious individual that law enforcement had provided to an associate of Community Health in exchange for payment. Bell created the fictitious notes stating she was providing Crisis Intervention Services for this individual and Community Health billed Medicaid for the services that she had not rendered to him.

In addition, Bell created false progress notes for other individuals purporting to provide Crisis Intervention Services and inflated her hours of service to maximize billing. In reality, Bell did not provide any services to the individuals she created progress notes for, or either provided non-Crisis Intervention Services and documented them incorrectly as Crisis Intervention Services. In total, Bell’s false progress notes and fictitious notes supporting the filing of fraudulent claims led to payments by Medicaid of $63,441.32 to Community Health.

Bell faces a sentence of not more than 25 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  Her sentencing date has been set for April 24, 2024.

The case was investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services–Office of Inspector General and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit-Office of Attorney General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Former Shreveport Police Department officer Jeffrey L. Peters, 55, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby presided over the guilty plea hearing which was held in United States District Court.

While employed as a Lieutenant with the Shreveport Police Department (SPD), as part of Peters’ duties, he was allowed to work overtime on the Community-Based Crime Reduction (CBCR) Program. The CBCR is a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that pays officers at 1.5 times their normal hourly rate for overtime worked.

According to information presented in court, between January 2020 and January 2021, Peters and a fellow supervisor (Officer 1) devised a scheme to defraud the SPD by claiming overtime for hours they had not worked. Peters and Officer 1 would each fill out and sign a Report of Overtime which stated they worked a specific time and date on the CBCR grant. Peters, in his role as Officer 1’s supervisor, would certify that Officer 1 had actually worked the dates and times listed on the Report of Overtime. Peters would also create and submit an SPD activity report which would falsely state that he and Officer 1 were doing patrols in District 3, an area around SPD Headquarters. On these reports, Peters and Officer 1 were the only officers listed. When in truth and in fact, neither Peters nor Officer 1 were working overtime for SPD.

Peters submitted false Reports of Overtime and Activity Reports on over 50 dates falsely claiming he worked overtime that he had not. He was paid for hours he did not work in is bi-weekly paychecks which were deposited into his own personal account. Peters received a total of $13,084.74 in overtime that he was not entitled to receive.

Peters faces a sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  His sentencing has been set for May 16, 2024.

The case was investigated by FBI, DOJ-Office of Inspector General, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg.

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LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two men today for drug trafficking in the Lafayette area.

United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced James Johnwell, 44, of Crowley, Louisiana, to 71 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiring with other individuals to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Johnwell pleaded guilty to the charge on September 19, 2023.

In March and April 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), investigated the suspected drug trafficking activities of Johnwell and his co-conspirators in Crowley. On March 31, 2022, law enforcement agents were made aware of the purchase of cocaine by an individual from Johnwell. On April 19, 2022, a search warrant was obtained and executed at Johnwell’s residence in Crowley. Agents seized approximately 1.2 pounds of marijuana, a bottle of promethazine syrup, approximately 765 grams of cocaine containing fentanyl, and approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride. In addition, agents found and seized 14 firearms and over 59 various rounds of ammunition.

The case was investigated by DEA and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel.

In an unrelated case, Henry Washington, Jr., 26, was sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to 180 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.  Washington pleaded guilty on September 26, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue. On December 10, 2021, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted the Opelousas Police Department with a United States Postal Service (USPS) package that contained two kilograms of suspected fentanyl. The package was mailed from an individual in California to a residence in Opelousas. Agents were able to recover the package delivered to the residence and the suspected narcotics were tested by the DEA Southeast Drug Laboratory and tested positive for para-fluorofentanyl, a Schedule I illicit fentanyl analogue.

Washington admitted to conspiring with other co-defendants, Jasmin Coleman and Owen Ozenne to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the para-fluorofentanyl that was delivered to the residence in Opelousas.

The case was investigated by DEA, USPS, and Opelousas Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel.

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LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two South Louisiana men on child pornography charges. The two defendants and their charges are as follows:

Bryan Anthony Foote, 50, of Westlake, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 204 months (17 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, on a child pornography charge.  Foote pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography on August 17, 2023.

During the months of February and March 2022, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) learned through their investigation that Foote had received multiple images of minor females, all under the age of 18 years old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. These images were sexually suggestive and had been exchanged for sexual gratification for both the sender and receiver. Foote admitted to receiving and possessing these images by using the internet.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey Richmond.

Brodie Carlton Thibodeaux, 35, of Church Point, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 180 months (15 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for one count of receiving child pornography.  Thibodeaux pleaded guilty to the charge on September 19, 2023.

Law enforcement agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) began an investigation after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that files containing child sexual abuse material had been uploaded by an individual. A search warrant was obtained and on February 10, 2023, law enforcement officers with the LBI and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations executed the search warrant at Thibodeaux’s residence in Church Point. Their investigation confirmed that Thibodeaux was the user of the account that had uploaded the images. As a result of the search of his residence, agents located and seized a cell phone from Thibodeaux’s bedroom. A forensic analysis of that phone confirmed that more than 100 still images and more than 100 videos containing child sexual abuse material were stored on the phone. Thibodeaux admitted to receiving these still and video images over the internet.

The case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and LBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.

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

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LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jordan C. Soileau, 33, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 110 months (9 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of an unregistered firearm silencer.

According to information presented in court, on April 9, 2022, officers with the Lake Charles Police Department responded to Soileau’s residence following a complaint that he had attacked a female victim and beat her to the point where she lost consciousness. The violent attack had been caught on video, and the officers were able to identify Soileau as the abuser. The video showed Soileau punch the female victim and render her unconscious. He also threw the female onto the ground, at which point he kicked and struck her again and smashed her cell phone. Through the ensuing investigation, the officers also learned that the victim resided with Soileau. The evidence also indicated that Soileau had brought the victim back to their shared residence after the attack.

The officers went to Soileau’s residence to further investigate the abuse, secure the victim, and ensure her safety. When they arrived, they encountered Soileau. While detaining him, the officers observed several firearms in plain view. Using this information, the officers obtained a search warrant for Soileau’s property, including his home and vehicles. The subsequent search of the residence and his vehicle resulted in the seizure of nine firearms, which included an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15 semi-automatic rifle that had been outfitted with what appeared to be a silencer device and an auto-sear conversion device, allowing it to operate as a machinegun. Ammunition in various calibers and large capacity magazines were also seized. The investigation also uncovered evidence that Soileau had recently discharged one of the firearms in the home.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted further analysis of the firearms. The ATF’s investigation confirmed that the AM-15 operated as a machinegun and that the silencer and conversion device had not been registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.  At the time of the incident, Soileau had a previous felony conviction for simple burglary in Calcasieu Parish and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. As a result of the evidence against Soileau, Judge Cain was able to depart upward from the pre-calculated sentencing guideline range.

The case was investigated by ATF and Lake Charles Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. – Kenneth Allen Moody, 33, originally of Hot Springs, Arkansas, was sentenced yesterday for making threats, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Moody was sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 18 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. 

A federal grand jury returned an indictment on August 24, 2022, charging Moody with one count of interstate communication of a threat as the result of a threatening phone call he made in July 2022 to the Vidalia Police Department (“VPD”). In the phone call, Moody, who was living in Vidalia, Louisiana, at the time of the incident, stated that he wanted to turn himself in because of what he was going to do. When asked what he was planning, Moody told the VPD dispatcher that he was going to possibly perform a mass shooting at the Natchez High School in Mississippi. Moody told the dispatcher that he had been planning the shooting for months and had loaded automatic weapons. VPD was able to locate the cellular device he had used to make the call to them and traced it to a device in Hot Springs, Arkansas with subscriber information belonging to Moody.  At the time of the call, Moody was living in the Vidalia, Louisiana area. He admitted to making the call to VPD with the intent to make a threat or with knowledge that the communication would be viewed as a threat.

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and Vidalia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath.

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MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Robert Scott Brown, Jr., 40, of Monroe, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 121 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography. Brown pleaded guilty to the charge on October 10, 2023.

In 2021, agents with the Child Exploitation Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began investigating individuals who were suspected of distributing and receiving child sexual abuse material over the internet through a peer-to-peer network. On or about February 1, 2022, in connection with this investigation, the FBI and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the apartment of Brown. Agents located and seized four hard drives from the apartment, and a subsequent search confirmed the hard drives contained child pornography. One of the images which was downloaded to the hard drive on or about January 31, 2021, was a 23-second video of a girl performing oral sex on an adult male.

A restitution hearing has been scheduled for April 3, 2024.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.

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

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jereaud Egans, 38, of Castor, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 195 months (16 years, 3 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for drug possession and illegal possession of firearms. 

Egans pleaded guilty on February 22, 2023, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to information presented in court, in October 2022, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating the suspected drug trafficking activities of Egans. Law enforcement agents were able to seize methamphetamine purchased from Egans and had it tested at a DEA laboratory. The results of the testing confirmed that it was a net weight of over 360 grams of methamphetamine.

On another instance in January 2023, agents conducted a traffic stop of Egans near his residence in Castor due to traffic violations committed by him. During the traffic stop, agents conducted a consensual search of the vehicle and found a loaded Canik 55 TP-9 9mm pistol under the driver’s seat. Agents also found and seized two vacuum sealed plastic bags containing approximately one pound of methamphetamine in a compartment under the front middle seat. The seized narcotics were tested at the DEA laboratory and confirmed to be methamphetamine with a net weight of over 444 grams.

A short time later, law enforcement agents obtained a search warrant for Egans’ residence and during the search recovered approximately 51 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 584 grams of suspected marijuana, 530 gross grams of cannabis pre-roll cigars, 528 gross grams of THC edibles, 104.3 gross grams of THC “moon rocks,” and marijuana seeds. In addition, agents recovered 18 firearms, one of which had been reported as stolen.  

The case was investigated by DEA, ATF and the Bienville Parish Sheriff's Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian C. Flanagan.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. – Seven members of a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Natchitoches, Louisiana area have all been sentenced, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced all of the defendants for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The last remaining one was sentenced on December 22, 2023. The names of those defendants and their sentences are as follows:

James Christopher Weeks, 51, of Montgomery, Louisiana, was sentenced to 360 months (20 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Weeks pleaded guilty to the charge on October 14, 2022.

Savannah Maria Weeks, 31, of Arcadia, Louisiana, was sentenced to 78 months (6 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. S. Weeks pleaded guilty to the charge on June 29, 2022.

Eric Joseph Sandifer, 36, of Pineville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Sandifer pleaded guilty to the charge on November 29, 2022.

Ashley Danielle Dowden, 39, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was sentenced to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Dowden pleaded guilty to the charge on August 3, 2022.

Candiace Shree Bronson, 39, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced to 78 months (6 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Bronson pleaded guilty to the charge on September 26, 2022.

Louis Vernon Jackson, 39, of Natchitoches, was sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Jackson was the only defendant who went to trial and was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of firearms and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, by a jury in April 2023.

Adam James Johnson, 41, of Natchitoches, was sentenced to 235 months (19 years, 7 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge on March 16, 2023. 

In early March 2020, agents with the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force (“NMJDTF”) received information regarding a group of individuals selling large amounts of methamphetamine in the Natchitoches area. Law enforcement agents began an investigation into these illegal drug trafficking activities and learned that James Weeks, his daughter, Savannah Weeks, Adam Johnson, Louis Jackson, and Eric Sandifer, were major methamphetamine distributors in northwest Louisiana. Dowden and Bronson were working closely with them in this drug trafficking organization. Through their investigation, agents conducted surveillance of these defendants on numerous occasions and in both Natchitoches and Alexandria, Louisiana. They were also able to obtain information from other sources as to the drug trafficking activities of these defendants.

Through their investigation, agents learned that J. Weeks, who was serving a 192-month imprisonment sentence in the Yazoo City Medium federal prison facility on a Western District of Louisiana drug conspiracy conviction, was conducting drug trafficking operations from the federal prison facility. J. Weeks was communicating through Facebook Messenger with S. Weeks, Johnson, and other co-conspirators about methamphetamine trafficking. On March 26, 2020, a K9 utilized by HSI-Riverside, California, alerted on a package at the San Bernardino, California, shipping facility destined to J. Weeks’ mother and daughter, S. Weeks, in Arcadia, Louisiana. A state search warrant was obtained, and six pounds of methamphetamine were recovered. J. Weeks admitted to agents that he had met a methamphetamine source of supply through another inmate in prison and that he was involved in the package being sent to his mother’s residence. J. Weeks introduced these sources to Johnson, who purchased the methamphetamine from them on several occasions.

In March 2020, agents conducted surveillance on Johnson’s home in Natchitoches and observed Dowden arrive and enter the residence. Shortly thereafter, both Dowden and Johnson left in separate vehicles. They were subsequently stopped for a traffic violation and agents recovered suspected drugs in Dowden’s possession.  A search warrant was also later executed at Johnson’s residence which resulted in the discovery of approximately 3,720 grams of methamphetamine in the attic of Johnson’s home. Dowden hid two large bags containing the suspected methamphetamine in the attic at the direction of Johnson and also took trips to Dallas with him to retrieve the methamphetamine in exchange for large amounts of cash.  A chemical analysis conducted by the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory determined the substance was in fact methamphetamine, having a total net weight of 3,716.7 grams and ranging between 89.4 and 98.4% purity level.

On March 3, 2020, while on supervised probation by Louisiana State Probation and Parole, Sandifer was arrested on a drug charge out of Oklahoma. Officers responded to his residence and found Sandifer who advised that there was methamphetamine in the vehicle in his yard and he admitted that he had been using the vehicle for several weeks. A search warrant was obtained and executed, and officers seized approximately 127 grams of actual methamphetamine, a digital scale, and baggies from inside the vehicle. Sandifer also had messages on his cell phone in which he was communicating with Johnson regarding methamphetamine trafficking in Natchitoches.

During their investigation, agents conducted surveillance at the Motel 6 in Natchitoches and the Best Western in Alexandria. On April 16, 2020, they observed Jackson pull into the parking lot of the Motel 6 and then depart the property. Agents obtained search warrants on those rooms which yielded 34 Tramadol pills, a Marlin rifle; model:  336CS; caliber: 30-30, a SCCY pistol; model: CPX-1, and several pieces of paperwork with Bronson’s name.  On May 13, 2020, agents observed S. Weeks and a male arrive at the Best Western hotel and enter a room.  S. Weeks departed and was subsequently pulled over in a traffic stop.  Agents seized approximately 132 grams of actual methamphetamine from her, and it was confirmed to be actual methamphetamine.

A search warrant was obtained and executed on the Best Western hotel room, where Bronson and Jackson were present. Agents seized approximately 498 grams of methamphetamine, $11,300 in U.S. currency, and a purse belonging to Bronson.  Bronson and Jackson were subsequently arrested. A chemical analysis was conducted on the suspected narcotics by the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory and determined the substances seized from S. Weeks and the Best Western hotel room were in fact methamphetamine, having a net weight of 132.7 grams with 89.9% purity and 498.2 grams with 92.7% purity level, respectively.

“The successful investigation by the local and federal law enforcement agents in this case has resulted in over 20 pounds of methamphetamine being taken off the streets of northwest Louisiana,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “These types of investigations take a lot of hard work and man hours to develop, and our communities are much safer after getting these bad actors off the streets. I commend the efforts of these local and federal partners and we will continue to prosecute those who choose to traffic drugs in our district.”

“This investigation, and its subsequent successful prosecutions, were the result of a complete law enforcement team effort,” stated Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright.  “The Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force invested significant resources over the past three years and joined with other sheriff’s offices and federal law enforcement partners to take action and remove over 600 grams of methamphetamine from our community.  And seven narcotics distributors are now in prison as a result of their dangerous criminal activity."

“We appreciate the diligent and ongoing effort of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in prosecuting these cases in federal court,” stated Natchitoches Parish District Attorney Billy Jo Harrington. “Some of the defendants, including Johnson, are also facing charges in Natchitoches Parish.  I also commend our local law enforcement agencies for their hard work and effort in removing illegal narcotics from our parish."

This case was investigated by the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force (NMJDTF), Department of Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, ATF, Natchitoches City Police, and Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cytheria D. Jernigan and Brian C. Flanagan and United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

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ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Kayla M. Vead a/k/a Kayla Lachney, 41, of Marksville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.  Lachney pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023, to two counts of wire fraud as a result of embezzlement of funds. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $388,946.82.

According to information presented in court, Lachney began work for the Rapides Parish Council on Aging (“RPCOA”) as a bookkeeper on or about July 2018.  Part of her duties included processing payroll, using the RPCOA credit card, and forwarding the Executive Director and their accounting firm with its financial records such as bank statements. Lachney had deposit accounts at financial institutions including Simmesport State Bank and Bank of Montgomery. 

While employed at RPCOA, Lachney caused checks to be issued on its account, purportedly payable to vendors, but she actually forged endorsements and deposited those checks into her personal account.  In order to conceal her theft, which occurred while she was obtaining a discharge of debts via Chapter 13 bankruptcy, Lachney concealed and mislabeled her fraudulent checks in RPCOA’s internal accounting ledger. For example, on September 11, 2019, Lachney caused a RPCOA check to be issued on RPCOA's bank account made payable to Kayla Vead in the amount of $4,700. This check was in addition to her regular payroll check and deposited into her personal Bank of Montgomery account on or about September 11, 2019, after which she converted the funds to her own use. In another instance of her embezzlement scheme, on August 3, 2020, Lachney caused a check to be issued on RPCOA’s bank account made payable to Kayla Vead in the amount of $1,800.  This check was in addition to her regular payroll check and deposited into her Bank of Montgomery account, after which she converted the funds to her own use.  Lachney provided an altered version of this check to RPCOA’s accounting firm, which made it appear as though this check had been issued to D&T Wholesale Office. During her three-year scheme, Lachney wrongfully obtained over $100,000 each year on average and used those funds to establish businesses such as Southern Sass Closet and Kay’s Bridal Boutique.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jerry Edwards, Jr. has resigned from the Department of Justice after having been confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as United States District Court Judge.

“There is a reason I selected Jerry Edwards as my First Assistant after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Attorney,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Judge Edwards is a well-respected litigator, the consummate professional, garners great respect among our local, state and federal judges and over the years has constantly displayed strong leadership abilities amongst his peers in this office. I could not dream of a better district judge selection. We are quite saddened to lose him as a colleague in this office, but great things lie ahead for this district due to this historical confirmation.” 

During his tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Edwards served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Louisiana, which includes 42 of the State’s 64 parishes and geographically encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana. Edwards has served as the First Assistant United States Attorney since 2022 and prior to that, served as the district’s Civil Chief from 2020 through 2022. Edwards is the first person of color ever to have sat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Edwards oversaw the investigation and prosecution of all federal criminal violations in the Western District of Louisiana and represented the United States in all civil litigation occurring in the District. 

Prior to serving at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Edwards was a Shareholder and Director at Blanchard, Walker, O’Quin & Roberts in Shreveport where he was employed from 2006-2019, with a diverse litigation practice focused primarily on tort defense, consumer bankruptcy work for creditors, and collection work. In addition, he handled municipal work with a focus on zoning and land use. Edwards received his Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University in 2002 and his Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School in 2005. After graduating law school, Edwards clerked for Judges Jeanette G. Garrett and Scott J. Crichton of the First Judicial District Court of Louisiana.

After being sworn in by Chief U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty, Edwards began his service on the bench on December 23, 2023. Edwards, 44, was nominated by President Biden on June 7, 2023. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on December 14, 2023.

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LAFAYETTE, La. – Kane Miller, 33, of Scott, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 205 months (17 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.  On September 12, 2023, Miller pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and two counts of attempted production of child pornography of the superseding indictment filed in this case.

The charges in this case stem from an investigation by an undercover law enforcement officer wherein the officer posed as a 13-year-old female on Whisper, an anonymous social networking app. A message was posted by the undercover officer and a user, who was later identified as Miller, contacted the purported minor female utilizing the private message function on Whisper. Between December 5, 2022 and January 4, 2023, Miller was messaging the minor female and expressed his desire to meet with the “child.”  In very explicit terms, he further expressed his desire to engage in sexual acts with the “child” when they met. The defendant discussed details of meeting with the “child,” including determining that she lived in Lafayette, Louisiana, and confirming that he also lived in Lafayette. In addition, he sent numerous images of his private parts to the “child.”   

Law enforcement officers arrested Miller on March 7, 2023. At the time of his arrest, after being advised of his Miranda rights, Miller admitted that he had not only talked to the “child” identified above, but that in addition, numerous other minor females had sent him images and he kept them on his cell phone. Miller gave law enforcement officers consent to view his cell phone and they found numerous sexually explicit naked images of what appeared to be young adolescent children. Those images could be coupled with text messages in which the defendant had asked for the sexually explicit images and in which the children had told the defendant that they were minor females under the age of 15. These instances occurred on

February 8 and 21, 2023, prior to his conversations with the undercover agent. In each instance, Miller requested and obtained sexually explicit images from females identifying themselves as minor females under the age of 15. Though the children have not been identified, they appear to be minor females. As such, the defendant attempted to cause persons he believed to be minor females to produce sexually explicit images of themselves and sent to him using the internet.

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Luke Walker.

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

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LAFAYETTE, La. - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana will be handling a forfeiture proceeding in connection with the seizure of numerous firearms in the case involving Dave’s Gunshop in Lafayette, Louisiana.

During the investigation of this case, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized numerous firearms from Dave’s Gunshop and also from the residence of Jeremiah Micah Deare and Sarah Elaine Fogle. The defendants in this case, Deare and Fogle, were charged and found guilty of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.

If you, your family member, or anyone that you know may have an interest in claiming ownership of any of the firearm(s) seized in this case, please contact the Forfeiture Unit of our office at 318-676-3600 for information on how to file a claim with the court for any firearm(s).  

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of a Shreveport man for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Recardo Cartrell Pierce, 27, to 93 months (7 years, 9 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. 

A jury in Shreveport returned a guilty verdict against Pierce after a trial in January of this year. Evidence introduced at the trial revealed that Bossier Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a stop of a vehicle for a traffic violation on May 21, 2022, in Bossier. Pierce was the sole passenger in the vehicle which was being driven by a female companion. When deputies approached the vehicle, they found Pierce with his seat pushed all the way back near the back seat of the vehicle and the seat was leaned back. Deputies were given consent to search the vehicle and found in the back seat behind the driver’s seat, and just within Pierce’s reach, a backpack containing a Kel-Tec semi-automatic 5.56 caliber rifle with a loaded magazine and a pair of safety gloves. This high-powered weapon had a round in the chamber ready to fire with the safety switch in the off position. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined the investigation and tested the firearm and found it to be in working order.

At the time of his arrest, Pierce was in a halfway house serving the remainder of his federal prison sentence where he was convicted in 2018 of being a felon possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Pierce knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Seth D. Reeg.

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SHREVEPORT, LA – Larry Clyde Daniels, 65, of Keithville, Louisiana, was sentenced on November 29, 2023, for distribution of controlled substances outside the bounds of professional medical practice to 36 months followed by three years of supervised release and a $20,000.00 fine by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

On December 16, 2020, Larry Clyde Daniels, 65, of Keithville, Louisiana, was charged in an 82-count Indictment for violations of Distribution of Controlled Substances—buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance, Klonopin, a Schedule IV controlled substance, and Adderall, a Schedule I controlled substance—outside the bounds of professional medical practices.

Daniels pled guilty to Count 44 and on November 29, 2023, Daniels was sentenced by Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 36 months in federal prison, three years supervised release, and a $20,000.00 fine for distribution of controlled substances outside the bounds of professional medical practice.

“It is no secret that many Americans suffer from opioid addiction and the effects can be fatal,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown.  Physicians, by way of their oath, undertake a great responsibility to exhaust all efforts to ensure that those who are prescribed opioids actually need them.  This defendant admittedly failed to do so by over prescribing these powerful drugs.  We hope this sentence sends a powerful message to physicians who consider engaging in such conduct.”

From 2016 through 2017, Daniels was a medical practitioner practicing within the Western District of Louisiana. Daniels received a Drug Addiction Treatment Act waiver in 2007 and was authorized to treat patients with opioid addictions. Daniels worked one night a week from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Warren Medical Multi-Care Clinic. On September 12, 2017, an undercover DEA agent acting as a patient, paid $325.00 in cash for the first visit with Daniels and was requested to come back the following evening to see Daniels.

The next day the undercover agent met with Daniels for approximately eight minutes. After this meeting, Daniels prescribed the undercover agent buprenorphine with a starting dose in excess of what is required without documenting a rationale for such starting dosage in the undercover’s patient file. Also, Daniels noted that the undercover relayed a history of recreational drug abuse but failed to discuss with the undercover the negative results of his drug test and failed to perform a physical examination. As a result, Daniels’ actions violated acceptable medical practices and acceptable medical practices within the State of Louisiana.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Allison Duncan prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two individuals from Broussard, Louisiana, have been found guilty on all counts after a jury trial that began in federal court on Monday, November 27, 2023, and ended Thursday evening, November 30, 2023.  The couple was originally indicted for conspiring to deal firearms without a license, making false statements in records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer, and failing to file sales reports in connection with their firearms business located in Lafayette.

Jeremiah Micah Deare, 37, Sarah Elaine Fogle, 30, were found guilty of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, after the jury heard from over 20 witnesses and numerous trial exhibits demonstrating the illegal sale and attempted illegal sale of hundreds of firearms out of their residence and at gun shows as an unlicensed business. The couple was found to have engaged in the business of dealing firearms without following applicable laws, including the required background checks on their customers.  The 246 firearms seized from the couple’s home, many with price tags, were brought into court for the jury to inspect, and the indictment also seeks forfeiture of a total of 619 firearms which were involved in the commission of these offenses.

Trial testimony and evidence revealed that Deare was the owner of Dave’s Gunshop, LLC (Dave’s) and the responsible party for Dave’s Federal Firearms License, which was located in Lafayette, Louisiana. Deare and Fogle did not hold a Federal Firearms License in their individual capacities. On or about August 13, 2019, a compliance inspection was conducted at Dave’s by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). At a warning conference on September 19, 2019, in Baton Rouge, Deare and Fogle were warned for numerous violations, including failing to complete a background check form ATF-4473 (one time), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for dispositions (67 times), failing to accurately keep acquisition and disposition records for acquisitions (62 times), transferring firearms without having a final response from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (two times), inaccurate completion of ATF-4473 forms (111 times), and for missing firearms. Trial evidence confirmed that, on that same day, the ATF investigator provided an Acknowledgement of Federal Firearms Regulations to inform Deare of their responsibilities as a Federal Firearms License holder, and about laws relating to engaging in the business of selling firearms at gun shows. Trial documents further proved the acknowledgment was signed by Deare acknowledging that he understood he was responsible for familiarizing himself with the laws and regulations.

During trial, testimony and evidence showed that Deare and Fogle, after being warned, willfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license by buying and selling firearms without complying with the recordkeeping and background check requirements required by federal law. Deare and Fogle acquired large quantities of firearms and ammunition from estate sales and other means but would not document the firearms in Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book as required by federal law. In addition, firearms brought to Dave’s to be sold on consignment were not logged into Dave’s Acquisition & Disposition Book and were not placed for sale at Dave’s, but rather were brough to gun shows to sell off of Dave’s A&D book and without background checks.

The jury trial revealed that Deare and Fogle kept firearms at their residence without logging them out of Dave’s store inventory and would travel with the firearms to gun shows conducted at various locations in Louisiana and several other states. Deare and Fogle sold firearms at gun shows to non-Louisiana residents for which no ATF-4473 or background checks were ever completed. Their failure to conduct background checks resulted in the sales of firearms to persons prohibited by law from possessing or purchasing firearms. Additionally, the sales of firearms at gun shows outside the State of Louisiana were not done through a dealer licensed in the state where the gun show was conducted as required by law. The proceeds from the out-of-state gun sales of firearms were not included as revenue for Dave’s, but instead, evidence and testimony revealed Deare and Fogle used it for their own personal gain to avoid any record of these profits with Dave’s, which at the time was in litigation with the previous owner.

Following the trial, a detention hearing was held and Deare was remanded into custody, where he will remain until the sentencing on April 2, 2024. Fogle will remain out on bond, with a restriction prohibiting her from traveling outside the State of Louisiana.

Deare faces a sentence of not more than 5 years in prison on Counts 1 and 2, and not more than 1 year on Count 3 of the Indictment.  Fogle faces a sentence of not more than 5 years in prison on Count 1 of the Indictment. Each defendant also faces up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. 

The ATF conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren L. Gardner and Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.

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A former officer of the Shreveport, Louisiana, Police Department, Dylan Hudson, 37, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for assaulting a non-violent loitering suspect. Hudson was convicted earlier this year after a four-day trial. 

“This defendant’s use of force was grossly excessive, inhumane and potentially fatal. The defendant repeatedly hit a nonviolent suspect in the head, kicked him in the face, tased him multiple times and pistol-whipped him in the head,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When an officer so grievously abuses the authority entrusted to him by his community, the Justice Department will respond with the full force of the law.”

“The defendant’s conduct was not representative of the oath he once swore to uphold as a law enforcement officer,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “When the federal government learns of such egregious conduct and we feel criminal civil rights charges can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, we will seek to hold those responsible accountable with an ancillary goal of restoring, and in some cases establishing, public trust in state, local and federal law enforcement.”

“The jury verdict and sentencing send a clear message to those who wear the badge and to the public that sickening conduct like that of Hudson’s will simply not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI is committed to ensuring those who violate the public’s trust are held accountable.”

The evidence at trial established that Hudson physically assaulted a loitering suspect during a daytime arrest in Shreveport. During the arrest, Hudson repeatedly struck the suspect in the head and face. The conduct showed by police body-worn cameras included several potentially deadly uses of force, including striking the man in the head with a loaded pistol, tasing him at the base of the skull and kicking him in the face. Hudson’s fellow officers testified that the loitering suspect was non-violent throughout the entire arrest, and that Hudson’s repeated violations of training and policy created a danger not only to the suspect, but to others as well.

The FBI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case. 

Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick for the Western District of Louisiana prosecuted the case. 

SHREVEPORT, LA. - Howard Davis, 45, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was sentenced November 29, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 262 months (21 years, 8 months) in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Davis was found guilty by a federal jury on  June 14, 2023. Testimony at trial showed that on August 2, 2022, Davis was stopped by a Louisiana State Trooper on Interstate 20 near Minden, Louisiana, for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, the trooper became suspicious of the story that Davis gave him as to why he was traveling through the area. The trooper was able to receive information from law enforcement indicating that the vehicle Davis was driving had been seen in North Carolina during the early morning hours the day before the traffic stop and was seen later that same evening in Dallas, Texas. The information Davis provided to the trooper led him to believe that he was not being truthful. A Louisiana State Trooper K-9 was called in and conducted an open-air sniff of Davis’s vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. While conducting a search of the vehicle, troopers found inside the trunk a tote bag containing approximately 4.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine wrapped in black electrical tape. The cocaine had an estimated street value of over $110,000. The narcotics were seized and sent to the DEA Laboratory for testing, and it was confirmed to be cocaine.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy and Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney.

LAFAYETTE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) are seeking to identify potential victims of an online child exploitation scheme which originated in Suffolk County, New York, and in Northwest Louisiana in 2022. 

The defendant in this investigation, Stephen Andrew Cipkin, has been charged by federal indictment with traveling to engage in illicit sexual activity, under 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b); production and receipt of child pornography, under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2); possession of child pornography, under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B); and enticement of a minor, under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).

The defendant may also be known by the following online usernames: “sac8635,” “ArabellaC.,” “Human no-more,” “numb little bug,” “Swiffer1,” “@onlygoodguy,” and “Ur_Perfect_Daddy.”  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If you, your family member, or anyone that you know has had contact with this individual or any of the above-listed usernames while being tutored in Suffolk County, New York, or while using the online applications Snapchat, Pinterest, YesIChat, Y99, or Instagram between 2020 and 2023, and would like to report a crime, please contact the FBI via email at: CipkinVictim@fbi.gov.

For additional resources and information, please visit:  https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion.

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LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a federal jury trial last week against Gabriel Hawthorne, 41, of Abbeville, Louisiana, ended with the jury finding Hawthorne guilty of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically fentanyl. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays presided over the week-long trial. 

According to information presented in court, Hawthorne conspired with two others who were also indicted, Frederick Malaki Thornton and Andrea Mitchell, to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Abbeville area. In March 2022, an individual exchanged a series of phone calls and text messages with Mitchell, and she agreed to sell heroin to that individual. She arranged the distribution of the heroin by communicating with Thornton, who was her boyfriend at the time, and Hawthorne, who was her supplier. Hawthorne owned a business, ZZ’s Kitchen, in Abbeville and would use that business to store the narcotics that he, Mitchell and Thornton made arrangements to sell. Mitchell also admitted that Hawthorne would mix the heroin before giving it to her to sell. The suspected heroin which was sold by Mitchell and Thornton were seized and sent to the DEA Laboratory for testing and resulted a positive test for fentanyl.

Hawthorne faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 

Frederick Thornton and Andrea Mitchell each previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John W. Nickel and J. Luke Walker.

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LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jorel Hughes, 40, of Opelousas, Louisiana, has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm. United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Hughes to 126 months (10 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Hughes pleaded guilty on August 18, 2023, to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

On July 12, 2022, officers with the Lafayette Police Department encountered Hughes while he was seated in the driver’s seat of a vehicle and parked adjacent to a fuel pump at a RaceTrac gas station in Lafayette. At the time, Hughes appeared to be in a drug-induced unconscious state and officers and other first responders rendered aid to him, including administering two doses of Narcan. While providing aid to Hughes and before he regained consciousness, officers located two firearms near Hughes in the vehicle. Officers later learned that Hughes had previously been convicted of a felony offense and one of the firearms had been reported stolen.

When Hughes regained consciousness, he did not comply with officers and instead resisted their efforts to detain him, attempted to disarm one of the officers, and crashed into other vehicles as he drove the vehicle out of the gas station parking lot. Hughes fled the scene at a high rate of speed, eventually crashing into a drainage ditch and then attempted to flee the crash on foot. Hughes was apprehended by officers and arrested. Hughes admitted to being a convicted felon and possessing the firearms, knowing that he was prohibited from doing so.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lafayette Police Department and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker.

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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LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Lake Charles man with a lengthy criminal history, was sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Dewayne Eugene Miller, 42, to 72 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Miller pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person on May 23, 2023.

On June 2, 2022, officers with the Lake Charles Police Department were dispatched to a residence on 12th Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Upon arrival, the officer observed Miller walking away from the residence and toward another one on the same street while holding a handgun. The officer ordered Miller to drop the gun. Miller tossed the gun under the porch of another residence and put up his hands and was taken into custody. At the guilty plea hearing, Miller admitted to knowingly possessing the Charter 2000, Model Undercover .38 caliber handgun even though he had previously been convicted of numerous felony crimes.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lake Charles Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.

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 Broxstonie Demichael Mitchell, 37, of Shreveport, has pleaded guilty to and was sentenced yesterday on a firearm charge. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Mitchell to 100 months (8 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to evidence presented to the court, on the afternoon of May 5, 2021, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were conducting surveillance and video recorded Mitchell carrying an AR-style pistol at a local Shreveport motel. Agents observed Mitchell get into the rear passenger seat of a vehicle parked nearby and leave with three other individuals. Soon after, Louisiana State Police troopers conducted a traffic stop and ordered all occupants from the vehicle. As Mitchell exited the backseat, a digital scale fell from his lap onto the pavement. Law enforcement placed Mitchell in custody and advised him of his Miranda rights. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and agents found a loaded AR-style pistol with a high-capacity magazine lying on the floorboard where Mitchell had been sitting. This pistol was determined to be stolen. Also on that floorboard was a single yellow pill, and between the driver’s seat and center console was a clear plastic baggie containing amounts of methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and yellow pills.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) determined that the firearm was a functioning Anderson Arms model AM-15 pistol which had affected commerce. At the time of his arrest, Mitchell was on supervised probation for another felony offense and knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.  In 2010, Mitchell was previously convicted in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana, Shreveport Division, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – Christopher Allen-Shinn, 44, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Allen-Shinn was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 210 months (17 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. 

Allen-Shinn pleaded guilty on March 30, 2022, to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of receipt of child pornography. This charge was the result of an investigation by the Office of Special Investigations (“OSI”) of Barksdale Air Force Base (“BAFB”) into several cyber-tip reports received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) in April 2021. These NCMEC reports indicated that a Dropbox account registered to a BAFB resident was being used to store child pornography on a cloud account. Investigators with the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office and OSI reviewed 37 of the images forwarded by NCMEC and confirmed that the images contained child pornography. OSI confirmed that the internet service account that was used for the Dropbox account was registered to Christopher Allen-Shinn’s residence on BAFB. He was a civilian employed as a historian at BAFB.

A search warrant was executed at Allen-Shinn’s residence on April 16, 2021. During the search, OSI agents conducted an examination of some of Allen-Shinn’s computer devices and storage media. Agents identified multiple images of child pornography. Further examination of his computer revealed that the defendant received images of child pornography from December 2020 to April 2021. These images included sexually explicit images that the defendant solicited online from minor females in exchange for money. During this time period, Allen-Shinn resided at and was a full-time civilian employee at BAFB.  Allen-Shinn admitted to downloading the child pornography and to soliciting underage females online for sexually explicit images in exchange for money.

The case was investigated by Barksdale Air Force Base’s Office of Special Investigations and Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Earl M. Campbell.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Scott William Wood, 41, of Noble, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to a total of 29 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug and firearm charges.  Wood was sentenced to 22 years for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; 5 years for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and an additional 2 years for revocation of his supervised probation, with each sentence to run consecutive, for a total of 29 years.  

According to information presented in court, a deputy with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Wood was the front seat passenger on December 26, 2022. On the front floorboard of the passenger side of the vehicle, the deputy found a small, zippered bag. The bag was located underneath where Wood had been seated. Inside the zippered bag, the deputy found a loaded Glock, Model 43X, 9mm pistol and a clear bag containing approximately 120 grams of methamphetamine. The firearm and the methamphetamine belonged to Wood, and he admitted to intending to distribute the methamphetamine to other individuals. Wood pleaded guilty to the offenses of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking at the guilty plea hearing on May 26, 2023.

At the time of his arrest, Wood was on supervised release in the Western District of Louisiana. He was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on November 21, 2013 and was previously sentenced to 120 months in prison for that offense.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg.

The investigation and conviction of Wood is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Odis L. Taylor, 33, of Shreveport, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 145 months (12 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. 

According to information presented in court, on January 26, 2021, Taylor was found in possession of a Glock Model 23 Gen 4, .40 caliber pistol, near the intersection of Mable and Darien Streets in Shreveport. Shreveport Police Department (“SPD”) officers responded to a call that day and found fourteen (14) .40 caliber shell casings near a store on Mable Street.  

On February 4, 2021, Taylor was arrested by SPD officers near Bringhurst Drive in Shreveport and found in possession of a vehicle with a Glock Model 23 Gen 4, .40 caliber pistol located in plain view partially under the driver’s seat. A search warrant was executed by law enforcement officers and inside Taylor’s vehicle was a box of ammunition, an extra magazine, and a smartphone.

The firearm that was seized from Taylor was test fired by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and placed into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) system. The NIBIN system found the firearm to match the .40 caliber shell casings which were recovered on January 26, 2021, from the intersection of Mable and Darien Streets. Testing and analysis performed on the recovered firearm found Taylor’s DNA on the firearm.

Taylor is a convicted felon, having numerous felony convictions in Caddo Parish, including first degree robbery in 2010, attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2014, and domestic abuse battery second offense and cruelty to juveniles in 2019. He knew that as a convicted felon he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Taylor was charged in an indictment on March 23, 2022, and pleaded guilty on January 24, 2023, to two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.

The case was investigated by ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan.

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 Gary Landon Harper, Jr., 33, of Bastrop, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 300 months (25 years) in prison, for production of child pornography. 

This case was the result of an investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office into allegations that Harper was misusing the internet social media application Snapchat to contact minor females in the Monroe area. Their investigation revealed that between January 1, 2021, and October 29, 2021, Harper utilized Snapchat to communicate with numerous females between the ages of 13 and 16 who attended Monroe-area middle and high schools. Harper would pay some of these females for their Snapchat login information which he would use to impersonate them and direct other females in their contact lists to “friend” accounts that he controlled, under the guise of making money from a “sugar daddy.”

Harper would further the scheme by paying females to send him sexually explicit videos and images, and to meet up with him for sex. The specific instance related to the charge in the indictment occurred between January and September 2021 when Harper enticed a 16-year-old female victim to meet him and have sex in exchange for $150. When they met, Harper filmed the pair having sex inside his pickup truck. He did this knowing she was a minor at the time. Investigators recovered that video recording from Harper’s cell phone pursuant to a search warrant and positively identified the female victim. Through their investigation, agents learned that Harper victimized over 25 minor females in his heinous schemes. Harper pleaded guilty to the one count of production of child pornography in this case on April 5, 2023.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Shannon.

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LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two men involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine have been sentenced.  Joseph R. Johnson and Isidro Chavarria were each indicted by a federal grand jury as a result of two separate Organized Crime Drug Trafficking Task Force operations.

Joseph R. Johnson, 44, of New Iberia, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to 157 months (13 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Johnson pleaded guilty on April 27, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In 2020, law enforcement agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Lafayette area and being supplied by Johnson. Through their investigation, agents learned that Johnson frequently traveled from southern California to Louisiana for the purposes of distributing narcotics. Johnson also often used the mail to transport narcotics and proceeds to and from California, Louisiana, Iowa, and South Carolina. Agents applied for and were granted authorization to intercept Johnson’s wire communications in 2021. During this interception time, agents were able to identify multiple co-conspirators who were assisting Johnson in the trafficking of methamphetamine. Through their investigative efforts, law enforcement agents were able to locate and seize multiple packages containing methamphetamine which were being shipped to and from multiple co-conspirators involved in the drug trafficking organization. Agents also identified and intercepted a vehicle transporting narcotics on behalf of Johnson and located over 30 pounds of methamphetamine concealed inside. Johnson admitted to willfully conspiring with his co-defendants in this case when he pled guilty to the charge.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police and New Iberia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel J. Vermaelen and J. Aaron Crawford.

Isidro Chavarria, 42, a federal prison inmate, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Beginning in January 2021, law enforcement agents began an investigation of a federal inmate at FCI Pollock who was believed to be coordinating large scale drug distribution while in prison. Agents were made aware that contraband phones were being smuggled into the prison in order to communicate with Cartel members and other individuals involved in the drug conspiracy. Through their investigation, agents obtained evidence that Chavarria was communicating with his co-conspirators on these contraband phones and in fact, was directing his wife and other parties to distribute methamphetamine that his co-conspirator was sending her. Chavarria pleaded guilty on April 4, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

At the time of this offense, Chavarria was serving a 210-month federal prison sentence for drug distribution offense from 2019.  This sentence will run consecutive to the sentence he was serving.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. 

The investigation and conviction of both Johnson and Chavarria and their co-defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 

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MONROE, La. – Avery Antron Goins, 44, of Monroe, has been sentenced for wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Goins was sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for these offenses. Goins was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $90,000.

Goins worked in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, in the auto brokerage and sales industry. According to information introduced in court, Goins registered two companies with the Louisiana Secretary of State, Avery’s Auto Brokerage in 2006 and 2nd Chance Auto LLC in 2017.  Since approximately the fall of 2013, Goins and his company were placed on a listing of restricted car dealers due in part because of the frequency in which he issued insufficient checks for vehicle sales transactions. Goins had deposit accounts at various financial institutions. 

In January 2019, Goins established accounts with JPMorgan Chase Bank and Regions Bank in the name of 2nd Chance Auto LLC (“2nd Chance”) and made an initial cash deposit of $100 into the Regions Bank account. Goins also applied for an account in the name of 2nd Chance with Elavon, Inc. (“Elavon”), a credit card processor who processed its merchant customers’ credit card transactions, and this account was tied to his Regions Bank account for deposits, credit card chargebacks, and otherwise.

Between January 23, 2019, and February 28, 2019, the Elavon account had 33 suspicious credit card transactions on 32 individual credit card numbers all containing the same first eight digits. During this period, Goins attempted to credit a total of $138,800.00 in fraudulent credit card transactions at 2nd Chance’s Regions Bank account using his Elavon merchant terminal. One such transaction occurred on February 5, 2019, when Goins, as the sole employee of his car sales business, conducted a credit card transaction of $4,200.  This credit card transaction was conducted by keying in the credit card number belonging to M.K.G., a Tampa, Florida resident. Goins did not have the authorization of M.K.G. when he charged $4,200 to M.K.G.’s account, nor did he sell M.K.G. a vehicle in exchange for this financial transaction. For each of the fraudulent 33 credit card transactions, thousands of dollars were credited to 2nd Chance’s Regions Bank account despite Goins not having the credit card, nor having the owner’s authorization, nor did he sell any vehicles in exchange.  Elavon suffered a loss of approximately $40,700 and Goins’ merchant account was eventually closed.

Goins filed for bankruptcy protection on or about June 6, 2019, seeking Chapter 7 relief, and thus he had a duty to disclose all assets and debts. A couple of months before his bankruptcy filing, Goins deposited two checks totaling $160,000 into the Regions Bank account for 2nd Chance. These checks purportedly represented the proceeds from the sale of 10-14 vehicles to a Canadian purchaser. After depositing the checks, Goins began withdrawing thousands of dollars from the account. However, Regions Bank eventually determined Goins had deposited two counterfeit checks. As a result, Regions Bank suffered a loss of approximately $50,000 when the account became overdrawn.  When asked in his Bankruptcy Schedule E/F to disclose his creditors having unsecured claims, Goins omitted the debt owed to Regions Bank and Elavon which he had incurred between January 2019 and March 2019. His intentional omission of debt fraudulently incurred violated federal criminal and bankruptcy law. He pleaded guilty to the charges on May 31, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the United States Trustee’s Office, Region 5, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan.

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LAKE CHARLES, La. – Johntrel Joel Lewis, 34, of Lake Charles, was sentenced today for illegally possessing a firearm, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Lewis was sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 78 months (6 years, 6 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for the offense. 

According to information presented in court, on August 6, 2022, deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Lewis. Lewis continued traveling in his vehicle evading law enforcement, eventually abandoning the vehicle, and fleeing on foot. Law enforcement officers apprehended Lewis and provided him his Miranda advisements. A search of his person revealed three clear bags containing a substance believed to be crack cocaine weighing approximately 20.8 grams, as well as over $900 in his pants pocket.  Inside the vehicle, deputies located a clear bag near the vehicle in the direction Lewis had fled on foot, as well as a Taurus, model TH9C 9mm handgun loaded with eleven rounds of ammunition, with one round in the chamber, which was found between the front passenger seat and center console.

Law enforcement officers learned that Lewis had previously been convicted of illegally carrying a weapon by a convicted felon in the presence of a controlled substance in 2018. As a convicted felon, Lewis knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) examined the recovered firearm and determined it was manufactured in Brazil and had traveled in or affected interstate commerce.

The case was investigated by ATF and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.

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 Leroy Shintell McKinney, 38, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 18, 2023, by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., for possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine. McKinney was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

On November 16, 2022, after a nearly two-year investigation into McKinney’s narcotics activity at various locations in Shreveport, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) arrested McKinney at a home on N. Southland Park Drive while executing a federal search warrant for narcotics. During the search, investigators found parked in the front yard of the home a red car known to be utilized by McKinney. A narcotics-detecting canine alerted to the odor of narcotics emanating from within the car and investigators located approximately six ounces of methamphetamine hidden inside. In the home were digital scales and packaging material.  After being advised of his Miranda rights, McKinney admitted to buying and possessing the methamphetamine for the purpose of distributing it. In total, investigators seized nearly 13 ounces of pure methamphetamine from McKinney throughout this investigation.

This case was investigated by members of the DEA, Louisiana State Police, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Service, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.  

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SHREVEPORT/MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of two men from North Louisiana for illegal possession and distribution of narcotics and a firearm.   

Johnathan Davon Hill, 28, of Vivian, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 117 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of narcotics and a firearm. On July 1, 2022, law enforcement agents with the U.S. Marshals Service’s Fugitive Task Force and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to stop a vehicle in which Hill was a passenger but the vehicle fled from law enforcement. The vehicle eventually reached a dead-end street and Hill fled from the vehicle and ran into the woods. A K9 unit arrived, and officers entered the woods and found Hill hiding. He was arrested for having for outstanding warrants. 

While officers were searching for Hill, the driver of the vehicle in which Hill was a passenger was detained. Officers observed in plain view inside the vehicle bags with what appeared to be marijuana, white powder, and pills. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and officers found a large amount of suspected ecstasy pills, marijuana and cocaine, as well as a firearm under the driver’s seat. Hill admitted to officers that the narcotics and firearm belonged to him. Hill pleaded guilty to the charges on June 7, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service’s Fugitive Task Force and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Weber. 

In a case from the Monroe Division of the Western District of Louisiana, United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced Joshua Bosley, 35, of Sterlington, to 110 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. According to information presented in court, on March 8, 2022, in the Western District of Louisiana, Bosley knowingly and intentionally distributed 109.5 grams of pure methamphetamine to an individual in exchange for cash. An indictment was returned by the grand jury in February 2023 and Bosley pleaded guilty to the charge on June 12, 2023.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Shannon. 

The investigation and conviction of Bosley is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that William Ross Hickman, 49, of Arcadia, Louisiana, and Brian K. Whiteman, 48, of Haughton, were sentenced today on fraud charges.

United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Hickman to 52 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.  Hickman was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,693,221. 

Whiteman was sentenced to 20 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. In addition, he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,183,949.

Hickman and Whiteman participated in a scheme to defraud which began prior to 2018 and involved Raeford Farms of Louisiana, LLC (Raeford Farms), where Hickman was employed as the Sales Manager and Whiteman was as the Assistant Sales Manager of their Arcadia production plant. Raeford Farms sells various products to include fresh and frozen chicken, and chicken frames. A chicken frame is the core of the chicken that remains after processing the breasts, thighs, wings, and legs. Hickman negotiated the sale of these chicken products seeking the highest possible return when selling them.

While employed at Raeford Farms, Hickman developed a scheme to fraudulently divert business from Raeford Farms by using Group 7792 as an intermediary to purchase chicken frames from Raeford Farms. Hickman used his position as Sales Manager to provide favorable sales terms to other entities to the detriment of Raeford Farms. Hickman had a pre-arranged agreement with an unnamed individual and his corporation to sell the chicken frames to Heritage Food Sales (Heritage), which was another company controlled by Hickman. Heritage paid Group 7792 a guaranteed return for each transaction but never took possession of the chicken frames or added anything of value to the transaction. Hickman would then sell the same chicken frames to a poultry wholesaler in Chattanooga, TN for profit.

To further the scheme to defraud, Hickman and others acting in concert with him, sent invoices by email from Arcadia, Louisiana, through interstate commerce, for Heritage to receive payment for the chicken frames. Hickman and Whiteman conspired together to conceal the involvement of Heritage from Raeford Farms in these chicken frame transactions. As Assistant Sales Manager for Raeford Farms, Whiteman was responsible for tracking inventory and the details regarding all shipments. Whiteman provided this type of information to Hickman to further the conspiracy to defraud in order to get a higher price for chicken frame loads sold by Heritage. In exchange for his participation in the conspiracy to defraud, Whiteman understood and agreed with Hickman that Heritage would pay him through his own business entity, All Trade Enterprise, LLC (All Trade). Hickman would pay Whiteman a monthly commission through All Trade and occasionally to him personally. The transactions conducted during the time period of this investigation resulted in a loss of over $2 million to Raeford Farms.

Hickman and Whiteman each pleaded guilty on March 8, 2023, to conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath.

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SHREVEPORT, La. –  The Justice Department has announced that it is awarding more than $4.4 billion to support state, local and Tribal public safety and community justice activities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.

“The fact that nearly $60 million in grant money is being pumped into Louisiana alone is staggering,” said United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “These grants will provide much needed funding for our local agencies to continue their work in making our communities a safer place to live. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with these local agencies in that effort.”

“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”

The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders, and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.

“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”

“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.”

“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”

Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:

• Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.

• More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion, and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.

• Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime, and are protected from violence and abuse.

• More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.

• Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent, and deliver justice to victims.

In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending. More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.

An interactive map that shows where grants are going can be found at: Workbook: OJP Awards Dashboard (usdoj.gov).

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