Three Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Drugs
Seizure of 17 Firearms, Over 3,000 Rounds of Ammunition, Drugs and More Than $25,000 in Cash Leads to Conviction of One Defendant
LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of three cases in the Lake Charles Division. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the following defendants yesterday:
Casey Soldier, 27, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for the unlawful shipment, transfer, receipt, or possession of firearm by a convicted felon. This charge stems from the discovery of 16 firearms, 3,350 rounds of various ammunition, and a dual drum magazine, all found in Soldier’s residence during the execution of a search warrant. In addition, law enforcement officers found and seized approximately 53 pounds of marijuana, 171 pounds of THC candy and edibles, 3.9 pounds of THC wax and oils, $25,284 in cash, and other documents from Soldier’s residence. During a search of Soldier’s truck which was parked outside of the residence, agents found an additional Glock 17, 9mm pistol. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) learned that the firearms all traveled in interstate commerce and operated as firearms. Soldier was a convicted felon and knew he was prohibited from having any firearm or ammunition in his possession. He pleaded guilty to the charge on May 22, 2023.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Combined Anti-Drug Task Force in Calcasieu Parish and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.
Dexter Oniel Mayes, 36, of Eunice, was sentenced to 140 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Mayes pleaded guilty on May 9, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This charge stems from a traffic stop which was conducted on Mayes’ vehicle for a switched plates violation on May 18, 2019, as he was traveling from Houston to Louisiana. As officers approached the vehicle, they smelled the odor of marijuana and both Mayes and his passenger were detained while officers searched the vehicle. Inside the trunk were 12 ziploc bags containing suspected methamphetamine which weighed approximately 25 pounds. The narcotics were sent to the DEA Laboratory for analysis and were confirmed to contain methamphetamine with a total weight of 11,867 grams.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Eunice Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog.
In another case, Harris J. Boudreaux, 43, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On November 27, 2022, a U.S. Probation Officer made an unannounced contact visit at Boudreaux’s residence in Calcasieu Parish to monitor his compliance with his conditions of probation and to verify his residence. During the inspection, the Probation Officer observed a Glock 45 firearm in plain view on the coffee table in the living room. The Probation Officer secured the firearm and contacted 9-1-1 to have Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies arrive to arrest Boudreaux. He admitted to the Probation Officer that the firearm belonged to him. Boudreaux pleaded guilty on June 21, 2023, and admitted that he possessed the firearm knowing that he was prohibited from doing so because he was a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the ATF, U.S. Probation Office, and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.
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