Houma postal worker Ebonie Smith, 37, sold her badge for cash—plain and simple. Smith pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of bribery of a public official, admitting she used her position at the United States Postal Service to push methamphetamine across Louisiana mail routes. Her cooperation wasn’t out of duty—it was a payoff. For a stream of cash, she ensured drug-laced parcels reached the hands of a Terrebonne Parish trafficking ring.
Darnold Deville, 50, of Houma, stood beside her in court, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. His arrest on December 10, 2015, ended with 84 grams of the drug and a digital scale in his possession—a small fraction of what the network moved. But Deville wasn’t just a dealer; he was a link in a pipeline fed from Texas and California, with parcels shipped straight through the U.S. mail.
The DEA’s investigation, launched in January 2015, peeled back layers of a well-oiled operation. Smith, inside the Postal Service, took bribes to flag, reroute, and deliver drug shipments—knowing exactly what was inside. Between August and October 2015, she greased the wheels for multiple deliveries, ensuring the conspiracy’s supply chain never broke. Trust in the mail system was her weapon. She abused it for profit.
Deville’s past sealed his fate. Charged by Bill of Information with a prior felony drug conviction, he now faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in federal prison. The maximum? Life. He could also serve at least 10 years under supervised release, pay a $20,000,000 fine, and face a $100 special assessment. There’s no leniency in the math—just time.
Smith’s sentence isn’t light either. She risks up to 15 years behind bars, up to 3 years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and the same $100 special assessment. Judge Jay C. Zainey will deliver the final word on February 7, 2017. No excuses. No appeals to sympathy. Just accountability.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite, Jr. credited the DEA and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office for cracking the case. Prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas D. Moses, James S. C. Baehr, and André Jones. The message is clear: whether you’re behind bars or behind a counter, if you traffic poison, the feds will come knocking.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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