Two Louisiana Men Sentenced to Federal Prison as a Result of Investigation into Drug Trafficking Organization

Published November 16, 2020

Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Louisiana – Two men were sentenced today in United States District Court after an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the Ville Platte area, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced. Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced the two defendants as follows:

John Kirk Ortego, a/k/a “Kirk,” 52, of Ville Platte, Louisiana, was sentenced to 57 months (4 years, 9 months) in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Jared Reed, a/k/a “J-Rat,” 40, of Ville Platte, Louisiana, and a co-defendant of Ortego, was sentenced to 42 months (3 years, 6 months) in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Ortego and Reed are co-defendants in this case. Ortego pled guilty to the charge on January 22, 2020, and Reed pled guilty on February 14, 2020. Evidence introduced in court revealed that from January through June 2019, Ortego and Reed each purchased methamphetamine from one of their co-defendants in this case. Reed arranged the purchases using his cell phone. Both Ortego and Reed purchased the methamphetamine so that they could resell it for profit.

This prosecution is part of a larger investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration through its Southwest Louisiana HIDTA Task Force and Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces. The Louisiana State Police Narcotics Division initiated the investigation, and Special Agents with DEA, as well as Task Force Officers assigned to the Southwest Louisiana HIDTA Task Force, completed the investigation. In addition to the above conviction and sentence, the investigation resulted in the dismantling of a drug trafficking organization in Ville Platte, Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.