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Louisiana Man Sentenced as Lead Defendant in Operation “Hustle City”

Louisiana. – Shamariay Duntae Locke, 36, of Haughton, Louisiana, has been sentenced on drug conspiracy and drug distribution charges, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. Chief United States District Court S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Locke today to 48 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

Locke was the lead defendant in a case in which a federal grand jury indicted him in September 2020 as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation: “Hustle City.” Locke pleaded guilty on September 20, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana and two counts of marijuana distribution. The charges stemmed from a long-running investigation into the distribution and sale of marijuana and methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City area by law enforcement officers with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other federal and local agencies.

DEA agents learned from their investigation that Locke and other co-defendants were possessing and distributing large amounts of marijuana to people in the north part of Shreveport. Agents observed Locke meet an individual in the parking lot of a local business parking lot and instruct him to get into another vehicle on two occasions in September 2017. They then drove to another location on both occasions, and the individual obtained approximately 3,915 grams of marijuana from Locke the first time, and 5,155 grams of marijuana the second time. However, the court determined at the sentencing hearing that these two incidents were not the extent of Locke’s involvement in illegal drug distribution during the charged conspiracy, which lasted at least from January 2016 to August 2020.

Ladarrell Cortrell Washington and Schyler Algernon Smith were both charged in this case and pleaded guilty. Smith’s sentencing date has been set for April 5, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. Washington will be sentenced on April 6, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.

Other defendants who have previously been convicted and sentenced in this case include:

• Jeremy Richard Francis
• Robert Lynn Baulkman
• Danny Glen Roy Welch
• Frank Gilford Joshua
• Michael Shane Haynes
• Henry A. Wright
• Arnelius Danta Terrell

Rico DeAngelo Lawrence, the only remaining defendant in this case, is currently on the run. Lawrence is aware that he is wanted, and he should be treated as armed and dangerous, and he should not be approached by anyone other than law enforcement. Anyone with information about Lawrence’s whereabouts should contact the Shreveport DEA Office at 318-676-4080 or the US Marshals Service Violent Offender Task Force at 318-934-4300 or via their online tip portal at: www.usmarshals.gov/tips.

The Louisiana State Police, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department, and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office all worked together with the DEA, Department of Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshal’s Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service to conduct this investigation. U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.

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