WDLA News Round-Up for Week of March 2, 2020

LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced the resolution of several cases this week, all of which are separately noted.

SENTENCING – TORY DARBY MONTGOMERY

LAFAYETTE, La. - On March 3, Tory Darby Montgomery, 23, of Youngsville, Louisiana, was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Lafayette Police Department responded to a complaint on June 21, 2018, of two males walking with a firearm in the Louisiana Avenue area. The officers located two males who matched the description provided by the complaint and made contact with them. One male ran from the officers, but Montgomery stayed and cooperated. Montgomery acknowledged that he had a loaded Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum in his waistband. Montgomery is a convicted felon and prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition. In July 2015, he was convicted in the 15^th Judicial District Court of simple burglary and accessory after the fact, simple burglary. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Lafayette Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Michael J. Juneau presided at the sentencing hearing.

SENTENCING – DERRICK CURRY

MONROE, La. - On March 4, Derrick Wayne Curry, 50, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. On July 12, 2018, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s deputies observed Curry on a bicycle violating traffic laws by traveling down a street against the flow of oncoming traffic, and without a functioning rear light. When the deputies attempted to make contact with him, Curry jumped off of his bike and started to run, while throwing an object in the air that he had pulled from his waistband. When the deputies caught up to Curry, they found him wearing a black nylon gun holster attached to his belt, and found a Taurus, Model: PT-92 AF, 9 mm-caliber pistol, loaded with 16 rounds of 9 mm bullets, 10 feet from where he was taken into custody. Curry is a convicted felon and prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition. In May 1990, he was convicted of armed robbery. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided at the sentencing hearing.

SENTENCING – JMARREON D. MACK

MONROE, La. - On March 4, Jmarreon D. Mack, 38, of Monroe, was sentenced to 17 and a half years in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Mack was found guilty on November 14, 2019, following a two-day jury trial in Monroe. Evidence presented during trial revealed that an officer with Louisiana State Police initiated a stop of Mack’s vehicle on April 12, 2018, for a traffic violation. As the trooper approached the vehicle, he smelled marijuana coming from inside. During a search of the vehicle, the trooper and an officer with the Monroe Police Department found a Glock .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber. In addition to the firearm, officers also found approximately 23.5 grams of marijuana in a bag on the front driver’s seat, a marijuana cigar, a marijuana grinder, and a digital scale. The gun that Mack possessed had been reported stolen. Jmarreon Mack has prior felony convictions in Ouachita Parish for possession of cocaine (2005 and 2014), attempted distribution of cocaine (2005), and possession with intent to distribute cocaine (2008). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Louisiana State Police, Monroe Police Department, Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office and Rayville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cadesby Cooper and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided at the sentencing hearing.

SENTENCING – JACOB STAGGS

MONROE, La. - On March 4, Jacob Staggs, 38, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm. West Monroe Police Department officers encountered Staggs during a traffic stop on April 24, 2019. Staggs was the passenger in the vehicle. During the course of the traffic stop, the officers discovered a loaded Smith & Wesson .380 pistol located in the back right pocket of Staggs’ pants. Officers also found a pill bottle containing Etizolam, Buprenorphine, Acetyl Fentanyl, Fentanyl, Tramadol, ANPP, Carisoprodol, and Tapentadol in Staggs’ front left pants pocket. Staggs is a convicted felon and prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition. He has previous felony convictions for possession of Methamphetamine, possession of Diazepam, possession of Methadone, and resisting an officer with force of violence (December 2018). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and West Monroe Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided at the sentencing hearing.   

SENTENCING – WILLIE JAMES COOK

MONROE, La. - On March 4, Willie James Cook, 29, of Monroe, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for felon in possession of a firearm. On August 29, 2018, officers with the Monroe Police Department executed a search warrant at an apartment on Dixie Avenue. During that search, officers discovered a loaded Springfield Armory .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun inside Cook’s backpack in a bedroom where he had been staying. Cook is a convicted felon and prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Cook’s prior felony convictions in the 4^th Judicial District Court include simple battery (2010 and 2016), possession of cocaine (2015), domestic abuse battery (2015), and resisting an officer (2016). The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Monroe Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Shannon prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided at the sentencing hearing.

SENTENCING – BRANDON HARRIS

MONROE, La. - On March 4, Brandon Keith Harris, 32, of Bastrop, Louisiana, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which will run concurrent to Harris’ parole violation pending in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. On the evening of July 14, 2018, Harris broke into Simmons’ Sporting Goods in Bastrop, Louisiana and stole seven guns. Federal law prohibits Harris from ever possessing a firearm because of his status as a convicted felon. He has multiple felony convictions in Morehouse Parish including: the manufacture and possession of a bomb (2005), possession of methamphetamine (2009), simple burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2014). This case is a joint federal and local investigation into the July 14, 2018 break-in and firearm theft. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Bastrop Police Department, and Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Shannon prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty presided at the sentencing hearing.

GUILTY PLEA – MANUEL KING

LAFAYETTE, La. – On March 5, Manuel King, 30, of Lafayette, pled guilty to three counts of carjacking. King, a previously convicted felon, carjacked three separate people on February 20, 2019. The first victim was standing next to his Jeep Grand Cherokee in a Wal-Mart parking lot when King approached and threatened him with a Kimber 9mm semi-automatic pistol. King took the victim’s wallet and drove away in the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, King crashed the Jeep and proceeded to carjack a second victim. He crashed that car and then carjacked a third victim.  He was pursued by police, eventually crashing the third car into a pond. At that point, he was arrested and was still in possession of the 9mm pistol he used during each carjacking incident. King’s wallet was found in the second victim’s vehicle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Lafayette Police Department, and Lafayette City Marshal’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays presided over the hearing and set sentencing for June 18, 2020. For each count, King faces up to 15 years in federal custody, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. 

GUILTY PLEA – CASEY BERLIN

ALEXANDRIA, La. - On March 5, Casey Berlin, 36, of Alexandria, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. During an investigation for a residential burglary, Alexandria Police Department officers identified Berlin as a suspect and arrested him on March 22, 2019. During the arrest, officers found a Ruger carbine .22 caliber rifle propped against a kitchen cabinet. Berlin told officers that someone gave him the rifle to hold as collateral for a debt owed. As a convicted felon, Berlin was aware that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. He was previously convicted of possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Dangerous Substance in September 2016. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Alexandria Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy is prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the hearing and set sentencing for June 22, 2020. Berlin faces up to 10 years in federal custody, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

The firearms cases were brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

The year 2020 marks the 150^th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

# # #