NEW ORLEANS MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FEDERAL DRUG AND GUN CRIMES
MARCHELLO JONES, age 28, a resident of New Orleans, LA, was sentenced in federal court today by visiting U. S. District Judge Frederic Block of the Eastern District of New York to thirty (30) years imprisonment for his role in a drug conspiracy and utilizing firearms to further his drug activities announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the defendant was ordered to serve ten (10) years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should she violate any terms of his supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 3, 2009, JONES pled guilty and admitted to participating in an ongoing drug conspiracy dating back to July, 2004, along with co-defendants DWAYNE HITCHENS, DESTINY DANIELS, CALIS COLLINS, ALONZO COLLINS, CARL FIELDS,, KENDRELL FIELDS, JASMINE HILL, KEITH JOHNSON, and RONNELL JACKSON, to distribute over 50 grams of crack cocaine, over 500 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, and a quantity of marijuana. JONES also admitted to discharging a firearm in furtherance of the conspiracy, stemming from a March 6, 2008 incident that took place at the “What’s Up Tattoo Shop” on Earhardt Boulevard. Because JONES has prior felony conviction, he also admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
All nine co-defendants previously pled guilty and have been sentenced to various prison terms.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr, and Brian J. Capitelli.
