Two Former Local Law Enforcement Officers Sentenced for Accepting Bribes in a Cigarette Trafficking Conspiracy, Co-Defendant Pleads Guilty

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced JUSTIN BROWN, age 30, and JOSHUA CARTHON, age 33, both of New Orleans, were sentenced last week to a one  year and one  day term of imprisonment to be followed by a one year term of supervised release (which includes four months of home confinement).  The former New Orleans Police officers previously pled guilty to accepting bribes in furtherance of the conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes.  Additionally, a co-defendant, ATALLA ATALLA, a/k/a TOMMY, age 40, of Wilmington, North Carolina, pled guilty to conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes and evading the federal excise tax imposed on tobacco. 

According to previously filed court documents, BROWN and CARTHON, along with GARRETT PARTMAN, all local law enforcement officers at the time of the Indictment, accepted bribes in exchange for protecting and transporting the shipment of contraband cigarettes across state lines.  Co-defendants, ANWAR ABDELMAJID-AHMAD, JADALLAH SAED, and ATALLA, would then distribute and sell the contraband cigarettes in North Carolina and other states where the cigarette taxes are higher than Louisiana, resulting in a total tax loss to the federal and state governments of $400,000-$900,000.  ATALLA will be sentenced on January 31, 2018.  ATALLA faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Division, Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, and the New Orleans Police Department/Public Integrity Bureau.  Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey N. Knight and Irene Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution.