Houma Man Michael C. Crawford Jr. Indicted on Heroin Charges

Michael C. Crawford Jr., 42, of Houma, Louisiana, is staring down a federal indictment on three counts of heroin distribution. The charges, unsealed this week, stem from three separate incidents in January 2018—marking a renewed federal push to close old drug cases with fresh charges.

According to the indictment, Crawford distributed a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin on January 20, January 24, and January 30, 2018. Each count carries a maximum penalty of up to twenty years in prison. If convicted on all counts, he could face decades behind bars in a federal penitentiary.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans, who emphasized that the indictment is not a conviction—but a formal allegation backed by evidence gathered during a joint investigation. “The guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Evans stated, underscoring the burden on prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors are being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James S. C. Baehr, Nicholas D. Moses, and André Jones, who have built the case using field reports, lab results, and investigative work from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Houma, a coastal city with a history of drug trafficking through Gulf supply routes, has seen increased federal scrutiny in recent years. The Crawford case is the latest example of long-dormant investigations resurfacing with charges—often triggered by forensic reanalysis or informant cooperation.

Crawford remains free pending trial, though pretrial conditions may be imposed as the case moves forward. A date for arraignment has not yet been set, but court records indicate prosecutors are moving swiftly to bring the matter before a federal judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana.