Louisiana Man Sentenced to 9+ Years for Charges Related to Drug Trafficking and Contraband in Prison
Louisiana Man Sentenced to 9+ Years for Charges Related to Drug Trafficking and Contraband in Prison
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Reuben Maurice Crawford, age 36, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 110 months (9 years, 2 months) in federal prison following his convictions for unlawful use of communications facilities in furtherance of drug trafficking activities and possession of contraband in prison. The Court further sentenced Crawford to serve one year of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Crawford was involved with a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of controlled substances in the Middle District of Louisiana, according to admissions made as part of his guilty plea. Crawford and another member of the organization discussed collecting drug trafficking proceeds from other members of the organization on June 7, 2017. Crawford called another member on June 19, 2017, to inform him that he was being watched by federal agents. Crawford then told the member to meet him at a bar so he could take him to the federal law enforcement office and show him the surveillance vehicles.
Crawford possessed cellular phones on two separate occasions in June 2021, while housed as an inmate at West Baton Rouge Parish Prison, which are prohibited objects in prison under federal law.
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. stated, “This sentence demonstrates that we will use all tools at our disposal to bring to justice those who deal drugs in our community. The combined federal, state, and local efforts that culminated in this conviction once again reflect our unified front against crime in this district. I appreciate the tremendous dedication and hard work by the agents and prosecutors who worked tirelessly on this important matter.”
U.S. Marshal Bill Brown stated, “When prisoners in our custody violate the law, we will seek to hold them accountable.”
This investigation is part of the OCDETF Program’s ongoing efforts to combat organized drug traffickers, which was established in 1982. Today, the OCDETF Program is at the heart of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy, which aims to reduce drug availability by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations, and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program is a nationwide operation that brings together the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, and the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office investigated these cases, which were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Kleinpeter and Harley Ferguson.
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