Harvey Man Sentenced for RICO and Federal Controlled Substances Acts Violations

Jermaine Hudson, age 25, of Harvey, Louisiana, was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk after pleading guilty to violations of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) and the Federal Controlled Substances Acts, announced U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.

Hudson was sentenced to 27 years’ (324 months’) imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Africk ordered that Hudson be placed on 10 years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should the violate any terms of the supervised release

This case arose out of a joint investigation by FBI, ATF, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. This investigation targeted an area which exhibited a disproportionate amount of violent crimes and narcotics trafficking. During the course of the investigation, specific individuals were identified as the main perpetrators of many of the violent acts and much of the narcotics distribution. Federal and local law enforcement officers interviewed witnesses and confidential informants and state defendants, relative to the targeted individuals. It was revealed that a group of individuals operated in various areas of Harvey, Louisiana, specifically, the neighborhoods known as Scottsdale and Haydel. This group controlled these areas for their narcotics distribution activities through violence and through threats of violence, to include murder, attempted murder, obstruction, and assaults. They were referred to as the Harvey Hustlers and/or Murder Squad.

The Murder Squad, or MS, was a faction of the Harvey Hustlers composed primarily of individuals residing in the Harvey, Louisiana area of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. While they primarily operated on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish, members conducted business in other parts of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Harvey Hustlers, also referred to as HH, originated in the Harvey area in the mid-1980s. Members of the organization “hustled,” meaning they distributed illegal narcotics. The original goal of the Harvey Hustlers was to make money from sales of illegal narcotics.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Duane A. Evans and Bill McSherry.