Shreveport, Louisiana – Trafficking methamphetamine lands a Louisiana man in prison for more than 12 years.
On August 22, 2023, 36-year-old John Michael Murphy, a resident of Many, Louisiana, was sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine, stated United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Murphy was handed a punishment of 151 months (approximately 12 years and 7 months) in jail by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. This will be followed by a 5-year period of supervised release.
On June 15, 2022, Murphy was indicted for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, following an investigation by law enforcement personnel in Many, Louisiana. The Sabine Parish Tactical Narcotics team had previously carried out an undercover operation, buying 60 grams of methamphetamine from Murphy before November 2021, confirming his involvement in drug trafficking. The officers had received tips suggesting that Murphy would be on the move to acquire more methamphetamine, which prompted them to keep an eye on the vehicle in which he was traveling. However, they lost track of Murphy at some point and had to call for additional help from other officers in the area to locate the vehicle.
On November 16, 2021, a Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted a vehicle on LA Highway 6, noticing that the woman behind the wheel had an expired driver’s license. The officer turned on his emergency lights and pulled the vehicle over. The woman driver and a man named Murphy exited the vehicle. Permission was given by the woman to search the vehicle.
During a pat-down, deputies found a big bag of what they believed to be methamphetamine lodged between Murphy’s legs. Murphy was arrested and the drugs were confiscated. The confiscated substance was sent to the DEA Crime Lab for testing, where it was confirmed to be about 136.72 grams of methamphetamine. On April 11, 2023, Murphy admitted guilt to possessing a total of 158.35 grams of the drug.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the FBI, DEA, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Sabine Parish Tactical Narcotics Team, and the prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick.
Murphy’s investigation and conviction comes under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The mandate of the OCDETF is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle top-tier drug traffickers, money laundering operations, gangs, and international criminal organizations posing a threat to the United States. This is achieved through a synergy of prosecutorial direction, intelligence guidance, and the tapping into resources from various law enforcement agencies at federal, state, and local levels to counteract these criminal networks.