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5 From Louisiana, 2 From Texas Sentenced to 75+ Years Combined for Drug Trafficking

Published March 2, 2022

Five defendants from Louisiana and two from Texas have been sentenced to more than 75 years combined in a Louisiana drug trafficking case.

Louisiana – Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. recently sentenced seven members of a drug trafficking conspiracy, with the lead defendant sentenced today, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.

Demetrius DeAngelo Hall, 37, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Hall’s co-defendants and their sentences are as follows:

Steve Mireles, 41, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

John R. Wilson, 50, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Larry Nichols, 48, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 77 months (6 years, 5 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Aaron McKinney, 40, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Bland Mouncil, 57, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Nolan Washington, 35, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

From March 1, 2019, until December 31, 2019, each of these defendants was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy and pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing methamphetamine in Caddo and Bossier Parish. Law enforcement officers launched an investigation into their illegal drug trafficking activities and were successful in obtaining a court-ordered wiretap on Hall’s cell phone. Agents learned from intercepted communications that Hall obtained his methamphetamine from a variety of sources, including Steve Mireles in Texas. Hall transported the narcotics to the Shreveport area, where he distributed the methamphetamine to his co-defendants, either himself or through a courier. Hall met people in various locations around Shreveport and Bossier City.

During the investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted phone calls and text messages between Hall and his co-conspirators on October 21, 2019, indicating that Hall was planning to travel to Texas to obtain more methamphetamine from Mireles. Aaron McKinney was later heard discussing a request for more drugs with Hall during these intercepted calls. Officers initiated a traffic stop upon the return of Hall and his co-conspirator, Bland Mouncil, from Texas. Mouncil then fled from police, tossing the methamphetamine out the window. Mouncil began a high-speed pursuit. Mouncil called Hall during the chase to tell him he had thrown the methamphetamine out the window. The drugs were recovered by law enforcement.

On November 7, 2019, Hall was arrested and pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. McKinney later confessed to law enforcement agents that he bought and sold methamphetamine from Hall.

Larry Nichols took part in numerous phone calls with Hall, during which they discussed various amounts of drugs, prices, and meeting locations, as well as making arrangements for Nichols to supply Hall with various amounts of drugs. Nichols was arrested on October 15, 2019, after law enforcement officers discovered him in possession of a stolen vehicle. A clear plastic bag containing marijuana and methamphetamine was discovered during a search of the stolen vehicle. The seized methamphetamine was sent to the crime lab for analysis, where it was determined to have a net weight of at least 5 grams or more.

Calls between Hall, Nolan Washington, and John Wilson were also intercepted, during which they discussed the purchase and sale of methamphetamine. Hall met with both Washington and Wilson to conduct drug transactions at different times. DEA agents observed Washington and Wilson meeting with Hall to obtain the drugs while conducting surveillance. Agents observed Wilson enter Hall’s vehicle for a brief period of time, exit, and walk back to his vehicle on November 5, 2019. Agents pursued Wilson, and his vehicle was stopped by a police officer. A search was conducted, and the same amount of methamphetamine as discussed in the intercepted phone call was discovered in the vehicle. Wilson admitted to buying methamphetamine from Hall on several occasions.

Michael C. Francis and David Williams, the two remaining defendants in this conspiracy, have both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.

The DEA, ATF, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Greenwood Police Department, and Louisiana State Police all investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Tennille Gilreath and Allison Duncan are prosecuting the case.

This operation is part of the ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that pose a threat to the United States. More information about the OCDETF Program is available at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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