Marrero Kingpin Austin Gets 25 Years for Cocaine & Gun Trafficking

MARRERO, LA – Stokley Austin, age 33, is headed to federal prison for a quarter-century after being sentenced yesterday for a large-scale drug conspiracy that flooded the New Orleans metropolitan area with cocaine. U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced the sentence, a culmination of a case built on kilos of powder and crack cocaine, and a disturbing arsenal of firearms.

U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle handed down the 25-year sentence to AUSTIN, who previously pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride and a quantity of cocaine base (“crack”), possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. This wasn’t a small-time operation; this was a full-blown trafficking network.

Court documents reveal the conspiracy involved the transport of multiple kilogram quantities of powder cocaine into the New Orleans area, ultimately landing in the hands of AUSTIN and his crew. The bust went down on July 23, 2013, at Austin’s Marrero residence. Agents didn’t find a few lines of blow; they uncovered approximately 2485.7 gross grams of powder cocaine, 39.7 gross grams of crack, and nearly $46,000 in cash. But the drugs weren’t the only things stashed away – a loaded Smith and Wesson .22 caliber rifle and a loaded Ruger P-89 9mm semi-automatic pistol were also seized.

The operation didn’t stop with Austin. On the same day, an associate of AUSTIN was arrested at their residence, yielding another massive haul: 1907 gross grams of powder cocaine, 63 gross grams of crack cocaine, 269 gross grams of heroin, over $22,500 in cash, and a veritable armory – an AK-47 assault rifle, a Browning Arms 9mm pistol, a Smith & Wesson .22 caliber pistol, and a Taurus 9mm pistol. This wasn’t about getting high; it was about profit and power, fueled by misery.

U.S. Attorney Polite rightfully praised the collaborative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Westwego Police Department. This case underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in dismantling these dangerous criminal enterprises. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Theodore R. Carter, III and Spiro Latsis led the prosecution, ensuring that Austin faced the full weight of the law.

The 25-year sentence sends a clear message: peddling poison and packing heat won’t pay in Louisiana. While this conviction closes one chapter, the Grimy Times will continue to expose the dark underbelly of crime and hold those responsible accountable. Expect more investigations into the networks that enable these operations, and the individuals profiting from the destruction they cause.