Two Prior Felons Sentenced for Escape and Firearm Charges in a Federal Court in Louisiana
Two Prior Felons Sentenced for Escape and Firearm Charges in a Federal Court in Louisiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana. – On October 11, 2022, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of two cases in the Western District of Louisiana. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the two defendants as follows:
John Robert Stevens, Jr., 35, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm. On May 25, 2022, Stevens pleaded guilty to the allegation, which arose from an event in Lake Charles when police from the Lake Charles Police Department was summoned in response to concerns about a suspect named “John.” Officers arrived at the scene and discovered a Lorcin L25 in Stevens’ front jeans pocket, along with a glass tube with white residue wrapped in bubble wrap.
Officers discovered Stevens was a convicted offender, and he was arrested. Further inquiry revealed that Stevens had been walking down the street looking for his girlfriend when he came upon another couple. Stevens informed officers that he held the firearm in his front pocket and gestured with it toward the couple and they were able to see the imprint of the gun through Stevens’ jacket. Stevens is forbidden from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.
Derrick Nathaniel Hartfield, 55, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for fleeing federal custody. Hartfield was previously convicted in July 2012 on federal charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was freed in March 2019 after serving his 84-month federal prison sentence. His supervised release was revoked on January 8, 2020, due to a violation, and he was sentenced to an additional 27 months in jail. During his time on the revocation, he was sent to a CINC facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana also known as a halfway house, to complete his sentence.
On August 26, 2021, Hartfield claimed that he was on his way back to the facility from work. However, an hour had gone and Hartfield had not returned. CINC personnel attempted to reach Hartfield multiple times, but he did not answer.
Officers from the San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Office in California responded to a neighborhood pizza restaurant on September 20, 2021, in connection with a theft. Hartfield was apprehended after being recognized as the culprit. On September 23, 2021, a complaint was filed charging Hartfield with escaping federal custody without permission.
The US Marshals Service investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog.
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