Two Louisiana Men Plead Guilty in Connection with Shooting that Occurred During an Attempted Drug Heist

New Orleans, Louisiana – Two Louisiana men have pleaded guilty in connection with a shooting that occurred during an attempted drug heist.

On March 16, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Darius Dannel, a/k/a “DD,” and Terrell Moore, a/k/a “Rell,” pled guilty to various violations of the Federal Gun Control, the Federal Controlled Substances, and Hobbs Act before the Honorable Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle

Dannel and Moore pled guilty to Counts 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the superseding indictment, according to court filings. Count 1 accused them of attempting to commit Hobbs Act robbery in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1951 and 2. Count 2 charged them with participating in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute quantities of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(D), and 846. The defendants were charged in Count 3 with using, carrying, and firing a gun during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c) and 2. Count 4 charged the defendants with participating in a conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o).

In relation to Count 1, Dannel and Moore face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. In relation to Count 2, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of no more than $250,000.00, and at least two years of supervised release. In the case of Count 3, the defendants risk a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, a fine of no more than $250,000.00, and up to five years of supervised release. The prison sentence imposed for Count 3 must be served consecutively with any other prison sentence imposed in this or any other case. Lastly, Dannel and Moore face a potential penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and up to three years of supervised release on Count 4. Dannel and Moore are required to pay a $100 special assessment fee on each count.

Dannel and Moore will be sentenced on June 28, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.

The investigation arises from a shootout at the Jung Hotel. On December 28, 2020, two groups engaged in a shooting in the Jung Hotel during an attempted armed robbery of considerable amounts of marijuana—one group owned the marijuana, and the other group attempted to take the marijuana.
Almost 80 rounds were fired in total, and three persons were injured. The hotel security cameras filmed a significant amount of this shootout.
Dannel and Moore admitted to taking part in an attempted robbery of the drug dealers and shooting their weapons during the heist. All six of the robbers pled guilty to their charges in front of Judge Lemelle. Two of the marijuana distributors pled guilty to similar charges before US District Judge Greg. G. Guidry. On March 7, 2023, Judge Guidry condemned Clarence Santiago to 30 years in prison for his role in the crimes. The Government included video surveillance of the occurrence during Santiago’s sentencing hearing as part of the record.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve together to minimize violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy to strengthen PSN on May 26, 2021, based on the following core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as well as the New Orleans Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant US Attorneys Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and Elizabeth Privitera, Head of the Violent Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.

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