U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., announced the return of a second superseding indictment charging members of the Frenchmen/Derbigny gang, or “FnD,” with violating federal drug and firearm laws. A federal grand jury returned the second superseding indictment today against TRAVIS SCOTT, a/k/a “Trap” or “Slim,” age 30; STANLEY SCOTT, a/k/a “Stizzle,” age 22; SHAWN SCOTT, a/k/a “Shizzle,” age 25; AKEIN SCOTT, a/k/a “Keemy,” age 21; JEREMIAH JACKSON, a/k/a “Rocky,” age 24;BRIAN BENSON, a/k/a “Dub” or “Dubba,” age 30; and CRYSTAL SCOTT, a/k/a “Chris,” age 33. All defendants are residents of New Orleans.

The second superseding indictment contains all of the charges of the prior indictment, including the shooting perpetrated by SHAWN SCOTT and AKEIN SCOTT on May 12, 2013. The indictment adds four additional charges of discharging firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. These charges include a March 22, 2012, shooting perpetrated by STANLEY SCOTT, AKEIN SCOTT, and JEREMIAH JACKSON; a March 25, 2012, shooting committed by TRAVIS SCOTT, STANLEY SCOTT, andAKEIN SCOTT; a July 16, 2012, shooting by STANLEY SCOTT and AKEIN SCOTT; and an August 4, 2012, shooting by STANLEY SCOTT, SHAWN SCOTT, and AKEIN SCOTT. The indictment also alleges that JEREMIAH JACKSON possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking on August 20, 2013. All defendants are presently in custody pending trial.

If convicted of any of the additional shootings in furtherance of drug trafficking, the defendants face a mandatory sentence of 10 years of imprisonment to be served consecutive with any other sentence, a $250,000.00 fine, and five years of supervised release. For the additional charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, JEREMIAH JACKSON could receive a sentence of five years of imprisonment to be served consecutive with any other sentence, a $250,000.00 fine, and five years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of the metro area’s Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MAG). As an integral component of NOLA FOR LIFE’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, the MAG Unit consists of a partnership with New Orleans Police Department (NOPD); Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office (DA); Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO); Louisiana State Police (LSP); Parole Board of the Louisiana Department of Corrections; United States Attorney’s Office (USAO); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); United States Marshal’s Service (USMS); and the United States Probation & Parole Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

U.S. Attorney Polite reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Ebarb, who is assigned from the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.