Leader of Shreveport Cocaine Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Life in Prison
Joint Federal, State, and Local Investigation Topples Drug Ring

SHREVEPORT, LA—JeCarlos Carter, 38, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in a major drug trafficking organization that shipped multiple kilos of cocaine from Dallas to Shreveport, United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today. Following a two-week trial in July 2011, a jury convicted Carter of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, along with five counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and three counts of use of a cell phone to facilitate his drug trafficking. The life sentence, handed down today by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks in Shreveport, was required by federal law since Carter had been previously convicted of a felony drug offense on three separate occasions.

Carter and five co-defendants were indicted in March 2011 on multiple drug trafficking counts following a lengthy investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) consisting of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Evidence produced during the trial showed that Carter, based in Dallas, orchestrated a distribution network that shipped multiple kilos of cocaine to Shreveport for distribution in the Martin Luther King neighborhood. As a result of court-authorized wiretaps, jurors heard telephone conversations of members of the conspiracy as they arranged for delivery of shipments and saw video surveillance of deliveries being made around Shreveport.

U.S. Attorney Finley stated, “These defendants wreaked havoc in the Martin Luther King neighborhood, where they distributed large amounts of cocaine without concern for the harm that they caused to the residents who lived in that area. Today, they face the consequences of their illegal activity. These sentences should send a strong message to anyone who participates in drug trafficking that they will face extremely stiff sentences, which may include spending the rest of their lives in prison. This office, along with our federal, state, and local partners, is committed to prosecuting drug cases in an effort to keep drugs out of our communities.”

OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

Also convicted at trial and sentenced today were:

Ramon Daniels, 29, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and unlawful use of a cell phone to facilitate drug trafficking; and

Tenisha Carter, 22, of Shreveport, sister of JeCarlos Carter, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and two counts of unlawful use of a cell phone to facilitate drug trafficking.

Two co-defendants convicted at trial were sentenced last Monday:

Auburn Thomas, 47, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 155 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and five counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute; and

Gransihi Mims, 33, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

One remaining co-defendant, Antonio Furlow, 40, of Bossier City, is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, April 9, 2012. Furlow was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years.

The investigation was directed by the FBI and involved agents from the DEA, Louisiana State Police, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Shreveport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Allison D. Bushnell and William J. Flanagan.