Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Houma Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Cross-Country Methamphetamine Conspiracy
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that AKARI WILLIAMS, age 34, a resident of Houma, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan to 188 months in prison for charges stemming from a conspiracy to mail methamphetamine from California to south Louisiana for distribution.
WILLIAMS was tried in November 2016 and he was found guilty after a four-day trial. According to evidence received at trial, WILLIAMS and two other men from south Louisiana conspired to distribute methamphetamine. One of them would fly to southern California to arrange for the purchase of methamphetamine. The package would then be sent to residents in the Houma area who were friends or family of WILLIAMS. The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department intercepted one package that contained 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine that tested to be 98.7% pure. The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Department took possession of that package and executed a controlled delivery during which WILLIAMS and another conspirator were arrested. In total, witnesses testified that, during this conspiracy, WILLIAMS received at least five kilograms of similarly pure methamphetamine for distribution in the Houma area.
The jury convicted WILLIAMS of both counts in which he was charged. Judge Morgan sentenced WILLIAMS to 188 months for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and she gave him the same sentenced for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Judge Morgan also sentenced WILLIAMS to five years of supervised release as to each count. She ordered the sentences for both counts to run concurrently.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Department and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. U.S. Attorney Evans thanked the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department for their assistance in investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Payne, Andre Jones, and Shirin Hakimzadeh handled the prosecution.