NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – A brazen interstate cigarette heist has landed a California man behind bars. James Blocker, a California resident, pled guilty on June 12, 2025, to the indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods and interstate transportation of stolen goods.
The indictment reveals that Blocker and his cohorts conspired to transport hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen cigarettes from a Metairie business, Imperial Trading Company, during a burglary on November 21, 2024. The group then traveled out of state, before being apprehended in Fort Stockton, Texas the following day while in possession of the stolen goods.
According to the indictment, the group’s scheme didn’t stop at the Louisiana border. Similar burglaries in North Carolina and Texas in February of 2024 further implicated Blocker and his associates in a broader racketeering operation.
As a result of his plea, Blocker faces up to 10 years imprisonment for conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 (Count 1). He also faces up to 10 years imprisonment for interstate transportation of stolen goods, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 2314 (Count 2).
Blocker’s sentence also comes with a hefty price tag: up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee for each count. The total potential fine: $500,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office, the Knightdale Police Department, the Atlanta Police Department, the Rockmart Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Fort Stockton Police Department, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the scope and reach of organized crime in the United States. As law enforcement continues to crack down on these operations, one thing is clear: those who engage in these activities will be brought to justice.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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