Louisiana Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison Following Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation

Published December 14, 2021

Louisiana – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced on December 14, 2021, by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Demetrius D. Loston, 39, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 360 months (30 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Loston pleaded guilty on August 19, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

After obtaining evidence that Loston was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in the Shreveport area, officers with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) initiated an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Cedar Grove area in July 2020. The “Operation Lost and Found” investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) resulted in federal indictments against nine individuals for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Agents were able to intercept many phone calls between Loston and other co-defendants during their investigation, in which they discussed buying and selling huge amounts of methamphetamine for profit. Loston had previous felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances in 2000, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance in 2005, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2014, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2018.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, ATF, and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. This effort is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.