Story by Liana
Law officials reported on October 20, 2023 that 41 people were found connected to the distribution of drugs, conspiracies, the trafficking of firearms, and other wrongdoings. These offenses followed a violent crime reduction initiative that lasted three months in the State of New Orleans in the Summer.
“The dozens of charges and arrests announced today represent what federal, state, and local law enforcement can accomplish when we work hand-in-hand to take violent criminals and trigger-pullers off our streets,” described General Lisa O. Monaco, Deputy Attorney General. “When we harness the Justice Department’s resources and technology – especially crime-gun intelligence from ATF’s NIBIN network – we are able to identify and arrest the culprits of gun violence and safeguard our communities. Across the country, our towns and cities are safer because of the dedication and bravery of federal agents and their state and local partners, and the 21st-century crime-solving tools DOJ is able to provide.”
“For months, incredibly brave ATF agents and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners have been investigating violent criminals who have terrorized New Orleans,” commented Steve Dettelbach, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). “The results are now clear: dozens of arrests; scores of seized firearms, including guns previously used in crimes; recoveries of stolen guns and guns with obliterated serial numbers; and the seizure of deadly machine gun conversion devices. All done better than ever using crime gun intelligence to catch the worst of the worst. ATF commits to continue using and sharing its intelligence with our courageous partners around the country to further drive down violent crime.”
“Many thanks to all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their invaluable efforts, unrelenting vigilance, and selfless contributions to the Operation Big Easy Initiative,” pronounced Duane A. Evans, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “When we work together and share information, good results occur. To our community, rest assured that we will continue to combat violent crime throughout the Eastern District of Louisiana. Every resource and every force multiplier we possess, will be used to accomplish that goal.”
Bradley L. Byerly, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Division of New Orleans, Joshua Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF New Orleans Division, and Jason Williams, Orleans Parish DA supplied more details that correlates to the initiative, in addition to other violence and narcotics prevention attempts.
Allegations and criticisms have just been exposed in federal court. The indictments came from the long, singled out, and drawn-out effort that was done this summer, conducted by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and aided by other state, local, and federal partners in law-enforcement, to prevent the use, possession, and trafficking of firearms, in addition to the distribution of drugs, in the city of New Orleans.
In its entirety, the operation prompted about 71 firearms that were related to crimes being removed forever from the streets of New Orleans. These occupied firearms included a large amount of stolen weapons and others with non applicable serial numbers. Data from NIBIN tied together certain firearms to criminality, which included assaults and homicides that occurred in the city of New Orleans and the region of Gulf Coast in the years 2022 and 2023. Six of the firearms were “switches,” or machine gun-conversion devices. These switches allow firearms to fire in automatic mode, making them much more dangerous.
A couple of those same individuals dealt controlled substances to law enforcement officials. Many of the sales happened during business hours in parking lots of business establishments that were open to the public, or in recreational areas while normal everyday citizens engaged in their daily errands or activities. In the course of this examination, law enforcement officials bought and/or captured about 2 Kg of a heroin and fentanyl mix, about ½ Kg of cocaine and the base of cocaine, and about ½ Kg of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, the charges in the United States District Court include:
- Michael Lott, 49, Dianta Tropez, 29, Vernell Woodard, 40, Quindele Addison, 47, Sheena Rudolph, 40, and Coris Addison, 23, were charged on Sept. 22 in a superseding indictment.
- Quindele Addison, Woodard, Rudolph and Tropez were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Tropez, Woodard and Quindele Addison were further charged with distribution of methamphetamine. Lott, Tropez and Woodard were charged with conspiracy and robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States. Lott, Tropez and Woodard with brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon.Lott, Tropez and Quindele Addison were charged with unlawfully possessing firearms following felony convictions. Quindele Addison was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Quindele Addison and Woodard are charged, jointly, with maintaining a drug involved premises.
- Rashad Montague, 32, was charged Oct. 10 via complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
- Dawud Barnes, 22, was indicted Oct. 6 for possession and transfer of a machine gun.
- Vin Davis, 43, and William Grace, 45, were indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl.
- Anthony Doyl, 40, and Carlos Guillen, 43, were indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of fentanyl.
- Devin Hilliard, 47, and Stering Pipkins, 39, were indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of cocaine, and Hilliard was additionally charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Joshua Hogan, 35, was indicted Sept. 29 for distribution of fentanyl.
- Dayshawn Brown, 39, was indicted Oct. 12 for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Michael Lewis, 36, was indicted Oct. 6 for distribution of fentanyl/heroin/cocaine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Troy Locke, 34, was indicted Sept. 8 for unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Junior Alexander Moncada-Vargas, 34, was indicted Sept. 29 for possession and transfer of a machinegun and unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as an unauthorized alien.
- Luis Morales, 33, Tyrone Whittington, 38, and Daniel Beck, 43, were indicted Oct. 5. Morales, Whittington, and Beck were charged with distribution of methamphetamine. Morales was charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction. Whittington was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
- Tommy Nash, 50 and Loreall Gorden, 38, were indicted Sept. 22 for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and distribution of fentanyl.
- Rodney Offray, 49, was indicted Sept. 22 for distribution of fentanyl and heroin.
- Jamar Holmes, 34, was indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl and cocaine and sale of a stolen firearm.
- Kennan Alexis, age 47, was indicted Oct. 5 for distribution of fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
- Dameron Carmon, 45, was charged Oct. 20 via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Daniel Smith, 55, was charged Oct. 20 via complaint with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, the charges in the Orleans Criminal District Court also include:
- Johnny Milton, 42, drug trafficking.
- Brandon Adiar, 49, drug trafficking.
- Kenneth Tyler, 46, drug trafficking.
- Brandon Jackson, 33, drug trafficking.
- Calvin Smith, 44, drug trafficking.
- Cordero Johnson, 35, drug trafficking.
- Ernest Cloud, 29, drug trafficking.
- LC Nixon, 33, drug trafficking.
- Cierra Craig, 34, drug trafficking.
- Ormond King, 31, drug trafficking.
- Zed Jones, age 32, illegal possession of a firearm
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms looked into the charges and cases, with help from the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, City of New Orleans Office of Criminal Justice Coordination, Louisiana State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, the DEA, the New Orleans Police Department, and the New Orleans Emergency Management Service and Crime Stoppers, GNO, who we would like to further thank. This process was additionally part of an initiative of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
The Attorney’s Office of the U.S. for the Eastern District of Louisiana and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office are taking part in indicting the matters.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
