Desmond Francois, Cocaine Possession, Louisiana 2017

LAFAYETTE, La. – In a major blow to the city’s narcotics trade, three defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a string of high-profile crimes.

United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Desmond Francois, 32, of Houston, Texas, has been sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The case began on May 11, 2017, when officers with the Lafayette Police Department initiated a bus interdiction at the Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Lafayette. During the search, officers found a red and black plaid bag directly above a seat in row 6, which was otherwise empty. Inside the bag was approximately ten kilograms of cocaine and a Greyhound bus ticket for Francois.

Francois was identified as the male who ran from the bus when law enforcement boarded. Further investigation confirmed that he was associated with a drug trafficking organization in the Houston area that has a history of drug trafficking in Louisiana.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lafayette Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog.

Other defendants sentenced in the case include Lionel Hill, Jr., 41, of Port Arthur, Texas, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges. Hill was stopped by officers with the New Iberia Police Department on May 6, 2021, for a traffic violation. He admitted to possessing narcotics with the intent to distribute them.

Jacob Wilson Zirlott, 39, of Franklin, Louisiana, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Zirlott was found to have an AR-15 firearm in his home, despite being a convicted felon and knowing he was prohibited from possessing any firearm.

The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel.

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