Tag: narcotics

Gerald Barker sentenced to back-to-back life sentences for double-murder

A Jefferson Parish judge on Wednesday (Dec. 18) sentenced Gerald “Bird” Barker to back-to-back life sentences in prison for executing two people in a Westwego residence from where he sometimes sold crack cocaine.

Barker, 37, will serve the life sentences for the second-degree murders of Linda Turner, 68, and Curtis Thomas, 51, who were shot inside Turner’s home in the 600 block of Emile Avenue on Jan. 17, 2023.

A Jefferson Parish jury on Dec. 4 deliberated about 20 minutes in finding Barker guilty as charged of killing Turner and Thomas, in addition to convicting him of obstruction of justice, possession of cocaine and of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Turner owned the home in which she died. She allowed Barker to sell narcotics from the home, and Barker later confessed to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detective that he helped her pay her bills because of this arrangement.

At about 9 p.m. Jan. 17, 2023, an acquaintance of theirs went to the home, discovered the bodies and called 911. Deputies found Thomas lying in a pool of his blood on the living room floor just inside the front door. He was pronounced dead at the scene. They found Turner seated on her sofa in the living room suffering from gunshot wounds. She died shortly after at a hospital.

The physical evidence shows that Thomas was standing just inside the front door when Barker, standing in the doorway, shot him in the back of his head, according to an expert in crime scene reconstruction. Thomas fell to the ground, and Barker stood over him and shot him in the face. Barker then entered the living room and shot Turner in her face, arm and head, according to the expert.

Detectives developed Barker as a suspect almost immediately. They also obtained surveillance video from a nearby residence showing that immediately after the murders, Barker ran from the house.

The detectives learned that Barker ran to his friend Lee Wings’ home less than a mile away, on Gwen Street.

Armed with an arrest warrant, members of the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Fugitive Task Force located Barker at an addiction treatment facility in New Orleans in March 2023 and took him into custody.

During his interview with the Sheriff’s Office, Barker admitted he sold crack cocaine from the Turner’s home and occasionally resided there. But he said he was at Wing’s home when Turner and Thomas were slain. He eventually confessed to shooting the two people.

“I hope and pray that you never see the streets again. Ever,” Thomas’s ex-wife told the court Wednesday in victim-impact testimony. “It was uncalled for. It was totally uncalled for. I know your family can see you again. We can never see him again. It’s never.”

Before announcing the sentences, Judge Frank Brindisi of the 24th Judicial District Court told Barker he is “incorrigible,” citing his numerous convictions of possession of cocaine since 2007.

“I don’t think you’ll ever go straight,” Judge Brindisi told him. “I think you’re a one-man crime wave.”

For the murders, he sentenced Barker to the mandatory life sentences, to be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. He ran the sentences consecutively.

Judge Brindisi separately sentenced Barker to 40 years for obstruction of justice and fined him $100,000, for eliminating the murder weapon; two years for possession of cocaine; and, 20 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Barker was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a 2018 conviction of possession of cocaine.

“Mr. Barker, you’re going where you need to be,” Judge Brindisi told him. “Good luck.”

Separately, Barker’s co-defendant, Wings, 59, pleaded guilty Wednesday to accessory after the fact to second-degree murder and was sentenced to three years of active probation. After Barker committed the murders, Wings drove Barker to the east bank of Jefferson Parish, stopping on the Crescent City Connection along the way so that Barker could toss the murder weapon into the Mississippi River. After returning to the West Bank, Wings left Barker at a motel.

Assistant District Attorneys Lindsay Truhe and Tommy Block prosecuted the case.

Myron Lee, mastermind behind botched Terrytown armed robbery, convicted of murder

A Jefferson Parish jury on Thursday evening (Sept. 5) found Myron Lee guilty of his role as the mastermind behind an armed robbery that left his victim – a fellow Louisiana National Guardsman – shot to death.

Lee, 22, of Gonzales, is guilty as charged of the second-degree murder of Jemond Cador, 21, who was shot seven times in his Terrytown apartment on Dec. 6, 2021, the jury unanimously found.

Lee and Cador were acquainted through the Army National Guard unit to which they were assigned. A week before the homicide, Lee visited Cador at his apartment in the 200 block of Wright Avenue. Shortly after, Lee conceived the plan to rob Cador.

“In his own words, he was tired of being broke,” Assistant District Attorney Zach Grate told jurors Wednesday morning in opening statements.

Lee recruited four others to help in the robbery. Without receiving permission, he took two semiautomatic pistols from his stepfather. Lee also obtained from his stepfather an AR-15-style rifle, which was unloaded but used as an intimidation tactic. He supplied masks to his cohorts and drove them to Cador’s apartment complex.

Lee kicked in the apartment door. Just inside, Cador resisted, leading to a physical fight with Lee. Armed with one of the pistols that Lee provided, one of Lee’s cohorts, Gerald Little, opened fire. Cador died almost immediately. Little was the only perpetrator to discharge a weapon.

The five men fled. Driving a black 2008 GMC Yukon, one of Lee’s cohorts was traveling at more than 20 mph over the speed limit on Interstate 10 just west of Kenner when a Louisiana State Police trooper pulled him over.

Unaware of their involvement in the homicide, the trooper ordered the five men out of the SUV. The trooper found the firearms, ordered background checks on the weapons, and learned they were not reported stolen. Neither Lee nor his cohorts were wanted. The trooper issued speeding citation, and the suspects drove on.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office obtained surveillance video from Cador’s apartment complex and saw four of the five suspects going to the apartment (one of the suspects remained in the SUV). Unable to clearly see the SUV’s license plate in the video, but seeing that the vehicle had damage, detectives used the license plate recognition system cameras to identify the suspects’ vehicle, leading to arrests.

Following his arrest at his Gonzales residence on Dec. 13, 2021, Lee confessed to planning the robbery, recruiting cohorts and executing the plan. Detectives also recovered evidence from Lee’s cell phone that tied him to the murder scene.

Lee is the last of five codefendants who have been convicted or pleaded guilty for their roles in Cador’s death. A look at Lee’s codefendants shows:

  • Little, 21, of Loranger, who was the only shooter, was convicted as charged of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit armed robbery by a jury on Oct. 18, 2023. He was sentenced to life in prison.
  • Isaiah White, 22, of Covington, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit armed robbery on July 18, 2023 and has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. White was armed with a firearm that Lee provided.
  • Kewane K. Edwards, 24, of Harvey, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit armed robbery on Aug. 16, 2023 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
  • Matthew Kerry Smith, 22, of Covington, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and conspiracy to commit armed robbery on Nov. 20, 2023 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Lee’s attorneys said he never intended for Cador to be killed. They told jurors that Lee conceived a “flawed plan fueled by youthful ignorance and foolish decisions.” Cador was killed because Little “panicked” and opened fire. They urged jurors to find Lee not guilty.

Jurors who were seated on Tuesday and began hearing evidence Wednesday deliberated about 1 hour and 45 minutes before returning to the courtroom with their verdicts just before 6 p.m., Thursday.

In addition to second-degree murder, the jurors convicted Lee of obstruction of justice for eliminating evidence connecting him and his cohorts to the crime, and of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Judge Jacqueline Maloney of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Lee on Sept. 16.

Assistant District Attorneys Zach Grate and Alyssa Aleman prosecuted Lee’s and Little’s cases.

District Attorney’s Office will not seek charges against JPSO detectives in 2019 fatal shooting of Chris Joseph and Daviri Robertson

GRETNA, La. – Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul D. Connick Jr. announced today that his office will not seek criminal charges against JPSO narcotics Detectives Paul Carmouche and Mike Wibble. This matter arises out of a narcotics investigation conducted by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office that resulted in the deaths of Chris Joseph and Daviri Robertson.

“The role of the District Attorney in all criminal cases is to seek justice,” D.A. Connick said. “This is done by pursuing the evidence and law according to the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and by determining the facts from an independent, objective and neutral perspective.

“While a homicide is the killing of one person by another, not every homicide is a crime,” D.A. Connick said. “As in all cases, our review must focus upon the elements of proof as well as any legal justifications or defenses that may apply.”

Upon receipt of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office’s report, in which homicide detectives concluded that lethal force was justified, this office began a comprehensive and independent review of this matter without regard to costs, resources or the time required to reach a fair and just decision. As part of our initial review, this office consulted with use-of-force expert, JPSO Lt. Benny Griffin.  Additionally, this office retained independent use-of-force expert Sheriff Ken Katsaris (retired) to provide an opinion on the detectives’ actions in this case.

Both experts agree that the application of deadly force in this situation was reasonable and comports with recognized, accepted and law enforcement training practices.

In light of the evidence reviewed in this matter, the State cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the actions of the detectives rise to the level of criminal conduct.

The D.A.’s Office has published on its website, www.jpda.us, its final report on the matter, outlining the details of its review, analysis of this case and reasons for the decision. Click here to read the District Attorney’s report.

Alonzo Ford convicted of two Marrero murders and other crimes

A Jefferson Parish jury on Thursday night (Nov. 30) found Alonzo Ford guilty as charged of fatally shooting two men in Marrero over a two-day period in 2019.

Ford, 48, of Marrero, was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of obstruction of justice and two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He was acquitted of one count of attempted second-degree murder.

About 2:40 a.m., on March 30, 2019, Ford approached a sports-utility vehicle that was parked in the 6200 block of 2nd Avenue, in which Martin Hatten sat in the front passenger’s seat. Ford brandished a .38-caliber revolver and shot Hatten in the right side of his head.

The bullet passed through Hatten’s skull and struck a 51-year-old man in the neck, causing a superficial injury. This victim was the basis for the attempted murder charge for which Ford was acquitted.

Hatten died in a hospital on April 5, 2019. He was 50. Ford was seen arguing with Hatten at a neighborhood bar in Marrero on the night before the shooting.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives quickly identified Ford as the suspect in that shooting and obtained a warrant for his arrest. A detective was able to speak with Ford on a cell phone, and Ford said he would surrender. He failed to do so.

About 36 hours after Ford shot Hatten, on April 1, 2019, the detectives tracked Ford to the 6300 block of Acre Road.

A detective driving an unmarked police vehicle spotted Ford standing with another man in a bay of an Acre Road car wash business at Buccola Avenue. As the detective circled the block, he radioed other deputies who already were converging on the area.

But before the deputies arrived, Ford shot that man in the head. Amid calls placed to 911, the deputies found Laurence Hensley slumped over in the car wash bay and noted passers-by using their cell phones to take photographs of the fatally wounded man.

Hensley died the following day. He was 55. Detectives later determined that Hensley witnessed Ford shooting Hatten.

Ford, meanwhile, fled that scene in a pickup truck but was caught moments later several blocks away on Cohen Street, where he attempted to elude deputies on foot. As he ran, he tossed the revolver and the brown hooded jacket he was wearing when he shot Hensley. A police canine located the revolver in overgrown grass next to a Cohen Street fence.

Ford was prohibited from possessing guns because of his criminal history that includes convictions of attempted second-degree murder and narcotics offenses. He finished serving parole in 2018, a year before he killed Hatten and Hensley.

His convictions of obstruction of justice are based on his discarding the murder weapon and jacket. From the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna after his arrest, Ford had a telephone conversation with someone in which he asked that person to retrieve the revolver, unaware that the Sheriff’s Office already found it.

Ford denied committing the killings. His defense attorney argued that drug dealers framed Ford and that another man who cooperated with detectives and prosecutors in identifying Ford was the actual killer.

The jury that was seated Monday night deliberated for more than three hours before returning with its verdict at about 11 p.m., Thursday. Judge June Berry Darensburg of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Ford on Jan. 11.

Assistant District Attorneys Kristen Landrieu and Leo Aaron prosecuted the case.

‘Street Butler,’ who led violent West Bank-based narcotics ring, pleads guilty

A Jefferson Parish judge has sentenced Scott Butler to 20 years in prison for his role as the leader of a Jefferson Parish narcotics distribution ring. Butler’s guilty plea on July 13 brings to a close a racketeering case that involved 11 codefendants who engaged in importing pain pills and muscle relaxers from overseas for resale on the streets of the greater New Orleans area.

Butler, 36, of Marrero, known as “Street Butler,” was the central figure in the enterprise, importing thousands of Tramadol and Soma pills from India or Singapore into the area for resale on local streets and distributing the proceeds among the enterprise’s members between November 2015 and April 2021.

Members of the enterprise used threats of violence to protect their distribution ring from those who encroached in their territory or reported them to authorities. Members of the enterprise attempted to kill an Algiers man in 2015. When that failed, they then tried to buy his silence with a bribe. When that failed, they attempted to kill him again. The man and his girlfriend were murdered the following year.

Court documents show Scott Butler wired almost $165,000 in a series of about 85 transactions to sources in India to purchase the pills. As a result of the investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office seized over 80,000 pills, seven firearms and almost $30,000 cash.

All other members of the enterprise also pleaded guilty during the past two years:

  • Christopher Butler, 34, of Marrero, was another supervising member and an enforcer who committed and threatened use of violence to protect the enterprise. He pleaded guilty to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, possession with intent to distribute narcotics and public bribery counts on May 1. He received a 20-year prison sentence, with 10 years of that sentence being suspended.
  • Decorian Jefferson, 31, of Marrero, was a “mid-level” dealer who distributed the pills throughout the greater New Orleans area. Jefferson pleaded guilty on Aug. 4, 2021, to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money of amounts greater than $100,000 and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. He received a 17-year prison sentence.
  • Dwayne Carter, 30, of Gretna, was a “mid-level” distributor who distributed the pills throughout the greater New Orleans area. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2021, to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money in amounts greater than $100,000 and public bribery. He received a 10-year sentence.
  • April Butler, 41, of Marrero, was a “mid-level facilitator” who provided the site for the imported pills. She pleaded guilty on June 9, 2021 to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money of amounts greater than $100,000 and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. She received a suspended 20-year sentence and was ordered to serve three years of active probation.
  • Shirley Carter Butler, 60, of Terrytown, was a “mid-level facilitator” who provided a site for the pills. She pleaded guilty on May 26, 2021 to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money in amounts greater than $100,000 and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. She received a suspended 10-year prison sentence and was ordered to serve three years of active probation. She is the mother of Scott Butler, Christopher Butler and April Butler.
  • Jemimah Joseph, 36, of Marrero, was a “mid-level facilitator” who provided storage for the pills. She pleaded guilty on Oct. 11 to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money in amounts greater than $100,000 and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. She received a 10-year prison sentence that was suspended and was ordered to serve three years of active probation.
  • Devin Williams, 25, of Gretna, was a “street-level distributor” who sold the pills throughout the greater New Orleans area. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 15 to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money in amounts greater than $100,000 and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. He received a suspended 8-year prison sentence and was ordered to serve three years of active probation.
  • Terrell Carter, 25, of Melissa, Texas, was a “street-level distributor” in the enterprise. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 11 to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money in amounts greater than $100,000 and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. He received a suspended 5-year sentence and was ordered to serve three years or active probation.
  • Trenise Palmer, 38, of Westwego, was a “street-level facilitator” who provided a site for the importation of pills. She pleaded guilty on Aug. 19, 2021, to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to launder money in amounts greater than $100,000 and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. She received three years of active probation.
  • Lauren Jackson, 37, of Westwego, was a “street-level facilitator” who provided a site for the importation of pills. She pleaded guilty on May 27, 2021 to racketeering, conspiracy to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to launder money in amounts greater than $100,000. She received three years of active probation.

Judge Michael Mentz of the 24th Judicial District Court presided over the cases.

Assistant District Attorneys Douglas Rushton, Brittany Beckner, Leo Aaron and former Assistant District Attorney Joshua Vanderhooft prosecuted the case.

 

Ferriday man convicted of armed robbery over a drug debt

A Jefferson Parish jury on Wednesday (Jan. 18) found Landon Rogers guilty of robbing a Metairie man at gunpoint to collect on a drug debt.

Rogers, 29, of Ferriday, was convicted of armed robbery. The jury, which deliberated for 3 ½ hours, acquitted Rogers of second-degree kidnapping and aggravated burglary charges in connection with the Nov. 15, 2019 incident.

About a month before the crime, the victim, then 19 and preparing to attend a local music festival, used counterfeit cash used as movie props to purchase about $1,000 of ecstasy from a drug dealer, Jhon Da-Sliver Ferreira, 25, of Harvey.

In response, Rogers and Ferreira went to the victim’s workplace, an Uptown New Orleans bar, and eventually followed him home to his Metairie apartment in the 1500 block of Chickasaw Avenue early the following morning.

Minutes after the victim got into his bed to sleep, Rogers and Ferreira knocked on the door. When the victim answered, Rogers, who was armed with a semiautomatic pistol, and Ferreira forced their way inside and demanded money. They covered the victim’s mouth with duct tape to keep him quiet and they searched the apartment.

The victim offered various belongings, including his marijuana. Unsatisfied, Rogers and Ferreira forced the victim to drive his car to his bank’s ATM in New Orleans’ Lakeview neighborhood. Once there, the victim realized he left his ATM card at his apartment. He offered to give the robbers prescription medication, which was at his mother’s apartment less than two miles away in Metairie. At the mother’s home, the suspects also stole a laptop computer belonging to the victim’s brother.

These latter events led to the kidnapping and burglary charges, for which Rogers was acquitted.

After leaving the victim’s mother’s home, Rogers and Ferreira accompanied the victim back to his apartment to retrieve his ATM card to return to the bank, where the victim withdrew $500. Back at the victim’s apartment, they ordered the victim to strip of his clothing and warned him to say nothing about what transpired.

Following the crimes, the victim called his parents, who in turn called 911. Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office robbery detectives tracked the crimes to Rogers and Ferreira, including using the license plate recognition camera system to show that the suspects followed the victim into Metairie from New Orleans.

The detectives determined that the suspect Toyota 4Runner belonged to Rogers. Shown a photographic lineup, the victim identified Rogers as one of the perpetrators.

The U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force found and arrested Rogers three days after the incident, while he sat in his SUV on Spain Street in the Faubourg Marigny. Detectives found the pistol and property that was taken in the crimes in the SUV, including marijuana taken from the victim’s apartment.

Rogers’ attorney denied crimes were committed, saying his client was helping to collect a debt and that the victim willingly provided the property.

The victim pleaded guilty last year to possession of marijuana less than 14 grams, a misdemeanor. The charge stems from the marijuana taken from his apartment, which was found in Rogers’ SUV. He received a deferred sentence.

In June 2021, meanwhile, Ferreira pleaded guilty as charged to the armed robbery, second-degree kidnapping and aggravated burglary offenses, and to seven narcotics offenses. Judge Frank Brindisi of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Ferreira to 20 years in prison. Judge Brindisi separately sentenced Ferreira to six months in jail after finding him in contempt of court for refusing to answer questions on Tuesday, while testifying in Rogers’ trial.

Judge Brindisi is scheduled to sentence Rogers on Friday (Jan. 27).

Assistant District Attorneys Kristen Landrieu and Carolyn Chkautovich prosecuted the case.

Corey Ivey convicted of killing ex-wife’s fiancé in Metairie

A Jefferson Parish judge on Wednesday evening (Nov. 30) found Corey Ivey guilty of killing the Metairie man who was engaged to his ex-wife.

Ivey, 46, of New Orleans, was convicted as charged of the second-degree murder of Keith Ellis, 51, who was shot multiple times as he stood in the doorway of his apartment dressed only in pajamas.

About 8:45 a.m., on July 26, 2020, Ivey was dropped off near the apartment in the 1900 block of South Clearview Parkway by an unknown driver. At the time, his ex-wife lived there with Ellis, her fiancé, who worked at a sugar manufacturing plant.

She was away at the time of the shooting, but her 6-year-old daughter with Ivey was asleep in the apartment. A nearby resident heard the gunfire and called 911. Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies found Ellis lying in the doorway near seven .45-caliber fired bullet casings. He died hours later at a hospital.

The entire incident was recorded by a nearby security video system. A witness identified Ivey as the shooter in the video. Arrested by the Sheriff’s Office, Ivey denied it and said that at the time of the shooting, he was with a prostitute he solicited in eastern New Orleans.

Ivey was serving a 10-year prison sentence for a conviction of heroin possession when his wife divorced him. She was romantically involved with Ellis when Ivey was released from prison in June 2019 on parole. He attempted to rekindle their relationship.

Days prior to the shooting, Ivey got into a physical fight with Ellis. Ivey struck Ellis in the head with a pistol during the fight, leading to his being charged with aggravated battery.

Because of his criminal history, Ivey was barred by state law from possessing the pistol he used to shoot Ellis, leading to his being charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He additionally was charged with obstruction of justice, for getting rid of that pistol after the shooting.

On Monday, Ivey waived a trial by jury, meaning 24th Judicial District Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach weighed the evidence and decided the case.

After hearing two days of testimony and after taking a brief recess to consider the charges Wednesday, Judge Kovach found Ivey guilty as charged of all four counts.

Judge Kovach is scheduled to sentence Ivey on Dec. 8.

Assistant District Attorneys Jenny Voss and Douglas Rushton prosecuted the case.

Everette Campbell pleads guilty to role in Marrero homicide, gets 35-year sentence

A Jefferson Parish judge on Tuesday (May 24) sentenced Everette Campbell to 35 years in prison for his role in an attempted robbery during which his codefendant shot four people, killing two of them.

Campbell, 26, of Terrytown, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of obstruction of justice.

The codefendant, Malik McGinnis, 25, of Avondale, has been convicted of being the gunman who shot and killed the two people and shot and injured two others.

The crime occurred just before 10 p.m., on Sept. 4, 2019, inside a four-bedroom home in the 3000 block of Sorbonne Drive. McGinnis, who had been acquainted with the victims, and Campbell went to the residence planning to steal from a resident who sold marijuana.

However, McGinnis shot and killed Ronald Eddington, 21. McGinnis then shot and killed Eddington’s 7-year-old sister. Her 11-year-old sister was shot in her left forearm. And a 19-year-old family friend was shot in his stomach as he wrestled with McGinnis.

During his jury trial, McGinnis was convicted as charged on Feb. 17 of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 8.

A jury was selected on Monday to weigh evidence against Campbell. He was prosecuted as a principal to second-degree murder but offered Tuesday to plead guilty to the lesser offense of manslaughter. His attorneys told jurors during opening statements Monday that while Campbell was present in the residence, he did not shoot anyone and was unaware that McGinnis was going to shoot anyone.

Judge Michael Mentz of the 24th Judicial District Court presided over both cases. In accepting the guilty plea, Judge Mentz sentenced Campbell to 35 years in prison for each count of manslaughter and obstruction of justice, with one count of manslaughter to be served without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The sentences were run concurrent to each other and with a 6-month jail term for possession of risperidone without a prescription.

On Monday, Campbell also pleaded guilty to cultivation of marijuana and received a 5-year sentence. While investigating the Marrero homicides, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered that Campbell was growing marijuana in his South Forest Lawn Drive apartment.

Assistant District Attorneys Douglas Rushton and Lynn Schiffman prosecuted Campbell and McGinnis.

Torus ‘T-Man’ Wallace guilty of Metairie killing over $35 drug debt

A Jefferson Parish jury on Tuesday night (May 10) found Torus “T-Man” Wallace guilty of manslaughter for killing a Metairie man struggling with substance abuse over a $35 drug debt.

Wallace, 24, of Metairie, killed Rene Rachel, 32, as he sat in his vehicle in the 500 block of North Elm Street, waiting for an intermediary to deliver “MOJO,” a street name for synthetic marijuana.

Wallace also was convicted as charged of obstruction of justice for removing the .45-caliber pistol he used to kill Rachel from the scene.

Just after 6 p.m., on March 29, 2020, Rachel, who struggled with addiction, traveled from his Metairie home to the neighborhood near Airline Drive and David Drive to purchase narcotics. As he entered the neighborhood, he picked up the intermediary who would acquire the synthetic marijuana for him.

As Rachel waited, Wallace appeared on a bicycle and inquired about drugs and the debt. When Rachel rebuffed him, Wallace brandished the pistol and fired once through the passenger side window. The bullet went through Rachel’s right forearm and struck him in the upper chest. He died shortly after in the parking lot of a business at Airline Drive and David Drive.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office received a tip from a source indicating that “T-Man” was the killer. The Sheriff’s Office knew T-Man to be Wallace. Wallace was identified as the shooter by an eyewitness.

Jurors also heard testimony showing that four days before the shooting, Rachel went to the same neighborhood to acquire illegal narcotics and encountered Wallace. Wallace threatened to kill Rachel unless he paid the $35 drug debt.

Through his attorneys, Wallace denied shooting Rachel. His attorneys argued there was no credible evidence linking him to the crime.

Wallace was charged with second-degree murder, which carries a punishment of life in prison without parole, probation or suspension of sentence. The jury that was seated on Monday deliberated three hours before returning the lesser offense.

Judge Michael Mentz of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Wallace on May 26.

Assistant District Attorneys Thomas Sanderson and John Ransone prosecuted the case.

Long Nguyen convicted in marijuana conspiracy, distribution case

A Jefferson Parish jury on Tuesday (March 15) deliberated about 20 minutes in finding Long Nguyen guilty of conspiring to have large amounts of marijuana shipped from California for local distribution.

Nguyen, 45, was convicted as charged of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana (greater than 2.5 lbs.), money laundering ($20,000 – $99,000) and providing a false name to a law enforcement officer.

During the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation that began in 2019, the narcotics agents seized more than 50 pounds of marijuana, all of which was displayed for the jury as evidence during the two-day trial.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know what you’re doing with all that marijuana if you’re not trying to distribute it,” Assistant District Attorney Michael Morales, standing over the mound of marijuana bags on the floor in front of the jury box, told jurors in closing argument Tuesday.

The agents opened the investigation after receiving information showing Nguyen’s wife was involved in illegal marijuana transactions. The investigation led the Jefferson Parish agents to Nguyen’s rented homes in the Gretna area, in the Gentilly area, Algiers, and Belle Chasse, according to trial testimony.

Nguyen conspired with others, some known and others unknown, to have marijuana shipped from Garden Grove, Calif., to Jefferson Parish through commercial carriers. The marijuana was contained in vacuum-sealed bags, which were contained in gold or green foil bags. Those, in turn, were packed in cardboard boxes that were lined with thin pieces of plywood, according to evidence presented to jurors.

The agents seized marijuana from several apartments, a storage unit and a UPS distribution center on the West Bank. One box, containing about seven pounds of marijuana, was mistakenly delivered to a Terrytown apartment, according to testimony. The shocked residents there called 911. They, too, were investigated and were cleared of criminal involvement, agents testified.

The agents recovered more than $8,000 in cash. They also found receipts for money orders and cashier’s checks totaling $46,000, all obtained in small monetary increments during a two-month period in 2019. Agents testified that such transactions are structured this way to not attract attention. The money was sent to a California bank, and Nguyen had a debit card from that same bank, according to trial evidence.

Under Louisiana law, money laundering is the possession of money that is the proceeds of a felony. When agents initially arrested Nguyen in January 2021, he provided a false name, leading to his conviction of that offense.

Nguyen, who required a Vietnamese-speaking interpreter, did not testify. Through his attorneys, he blamed his wife, Bich Nguyen, for being the marijuana dealer and asserted he had nothing to do with the criminal activities. However, agents obtained recordings of phone calls between the couple while he was jailed awaiting trial. In those calls, he directed his wife in matters of marijuana distribution, proving that he was involved in the conspiracy.

Bich Nguyen, 51, has twice pleaded guilty in connection with the marijuana distribution. In October 2020, she pleaded guilty as charged to conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana and money laundering ($20,000 – $99,000). She was given three years of probation.

However, her probation was revoked, and she was sentenced to the three years at hard labor after she was arrested again for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

The second arrest was in February 2021, when agents investigating her and her husband recovered marijuana in the Gretna-area apartment and in a storage unit. She pleaded guilty in May 2021 to conspiracy to distribute marijuana (greater than 2.5 lbs.) and possession with intent to distribute marijuana (greater than 2.5 lbs.). She received another 3-year prison sentence.

Two other men have pleaded guilty in connection with the investigation:

  • Man Danh, 54, of Gretna, pleaded guilty in October 2020 to conspiracy to possess marijuana (less than 2.5 lbs.), money laundering ($20,000 – $99,000), and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He received a 5-year sentence.
  • Nghia Hoaung, 41, of Belle Chasse, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to possession with intent to distribute marijuana (less than 2.5 lbs.). A 5-year prison sentence was suspended, and he was sentenced to three years of active probation.

Judge Frank Brindisi of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Long Nguyen on April 11.

Assistant District Attorney Gabrielle Hosli lead the prosecution of Long Nguyen with assistance of Michael Morales. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Vanderhooft prosecuted Bich Nguyen and Nghia Hoaung. Assistant District Attorney Rachel Africk prosecuted Man Danh.