FBI New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force Arrests Multiple Subjects Wanted on Federal, State, and Local Charges

NEW ORLEANS—This morning, members of the New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force (NOVCTF), to include the FBI, New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Kenner Police Department, arrested multiple subjects on charges of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, as well as additional subjects wanted for state and local crimes. The NOVCTF were joined by members of the FBI’s SWAT team; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in executing the arrest warrants and the subsequent search of multiple properties in the vicinity of the 4200 block of Darby Street in eastern New Orleans.

Those arrested on federal charges include:

• Jerry Spencer Jr., a black male, age 28, 11141 Whiteside Road, New Orleans;
• Mitchell Lee, a black male, age 27, 4710 Knight Drive, New Orleans;
• Terrence Earl Timmons, a black male, age 32, 4206 McCoy Street, New Orleans;
• Thomas Hegwood, a white male, age 60, no permanent address;
• Troy Adam, a white male, age 50, 20405 Old Spanish Trail, New Orleans.

The arrests are the result of a six-month long investigation by the NOVCTF in collaboration with the NOPD’s 7th District and the ATF targeting violent offenders and distribution of narcotics. As a result of the searches conducted, law enforcement officials recovered heroin, marijuana, prescription drugs, and two handguns.

The suspects will be charged in federal court with knowingly or intentionally combining, conspiring, and agreeing with each other and others to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and a quantity of cocaine base (“crack”), a Scheduled II narcotics controlled substance. The suspects were booked into federal custody.

Today’s operation also netted the following subjects wanted for state and local violations:

• Valerie Gambino, white female, age 32, wanted on a warrant from the NOPD for heroin possession;
• Brian Ballard, black male, age 24, wanted on a traffic attachment from JPSO and a traffic attachment from the NOPD;
• Charles Casborn, black male, age 51, wanted by the NOPD for criminal negligence;
• Michael Cook, black male, age 39, wanted for a suspended driver’s license;
• Elton Taylor, black male, age 46, arrested for a fugitive warrant out of Jefferson Parish;
• Bobby Ballard, black male, age 29, arrest on state charge for heroin possession;
• Timothy Hutcheson, white male, age 51, wanted on a warrant from Houston County, Alabama, for failure to appear in court on drug charges; Hutcheson will be extradited to Alabama.