Avoyelles Parish, LA — A federal investigation into a drug trafficking organization has resulted in nine defendants being sentenced to a total of more than 79 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced on March 14. The investigation, which was led by the FBI Central Louisiana Gang Task Force, focused on the distribution of methamphetamine in Avoyelles Parish.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation, which spanned from January to September 2023, involved extensive surveillance, observation of drug transactions, and wiretapping of phones used in the trafficking. Authorities learned that the drug trafficking organization was sourcing methamphetamine from Houston for distribution across central and south Louisiana.
U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell handed down the following sentences to the convicted defendants:
Darrell Joseph Sampson Jr., 39, of Marksville – 113 months (9 years, 5 months)
Christopher Glynn Bradford, 46, of Marksville – 50 months (4 years, 2 months)
Travis Demond Carroll, 34, of Baton Rouge – 180 months (15 years)
Kelly Johnson Jr., 32, of Lake Charles – 90 months (7 years, 6 months)
Troy Wayne Dominick, 42, of Mansura – 80 months (6 years, 8 months)
Arthor Francisco, 37, of Moreauville – 160 months (13 years, 4 months)
Desmond Dewayne Jordan, 46, of Alexandria – 225 months (18 years, 9 months)
Joseph Patrick Murray III, 27, of Cottonport – 37 months (3 years, 1 month)
Tremayne Lee Lavalais, 34, of Bunkie – 20 months (1 year, 8 months)
The sentences mark the conclusion of a successful federal operation targeting the methamphetamine trade in Louisiana, with law enforcement intercepting numerous communications that detailed the distribution of drugs in the region.
