Anthony Smith, Drug Trafficking, Louisiana 2011

A Pontchatoula man has been sentenced to 15.25 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy involving the trafficking of over five kilograms of cocaine from the Houston, Texas area to Bogalusa, Louisiana.

Anthony Smith, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo on December 12, 2011, after previously entering a guilty plea admitting to the actions he took during the conspiracy.

According to court documents, Smith drove to Texas on several occasions with and on behalf of co-defendant Derek Moss for the purposes of obtaining cocaine from Luis Colon, a source in that area. Agents observed Smith meet with Colon on one occasion. On a later occasion, agents followed Smith, Moss, and Todd Mark back from Texas to the Laplace area.

Smith was stopped as he traveled toward Pontchatoula on Interstate 55. Mark and Moss were arrested later that day following a car chase through Metairie, which ended on the Mississippi River levee, where Mark and Moss attempted to discard nearly four kilograms of cocaine.

Smith was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal's Service to begin his term of imprisonment. The case was investigated by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Louisiana State Police, and Bogalusa Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin G. Boitmann.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Milazzo imposed 10 years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment. During the 10-year term, the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release.

The defendant's role in the conspiracy involved the trafficking of over five kilograms of cocaine, which is a significant amount of the highly addictive and powerful substance.

Smith's sentencing is a reminder of the serious consequences of involvement in drug trafficking and the importance of law enforcement efforts to combat this crime.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/pontchatoula-man-anthony-smith-sentenced-drug-trafficking