Isaac Ford, Cocaine Smuggling, Louisiana 2016

A Houston man and woman have been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine in a major bust on I-10 West near New Orleans. ISAAC FORD, 38, and LACHELSEA KIRKSEY, 27, both residents of Houston, were driving separate vehicles in tandem on September 5, 2014, when they were stopped by Louisiana State Police Troopers.

According to court records, FORD and KIRKSEY were driving separate vehicles in tandem on I-10 West near New Orleans on September 5, 2014, when they were stopped by Louisiana State Police Troopers. Troopers searched KIRKSEY's Chevrolet Camaro with her consent and discovered four vacuum-sealed bags hidden in the wheel wells of the car, each containing one kilogram of powder cocaine.

FORD then admitted that he had rented both of the vehicles, concealed the cocaine in the Camaro, and promised KIRKSEY $2,000 to drive the Camaro to New Orleans, where he intended to deliver the cocaine.

FORD and KIRKSEY pled guilty to a Bill of Information charging possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Sentencing of both defendants is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo on September 8, 2016.

FORD faces a sentence of 5 to 40 years imprisonment, and KIRKSEY faces a sentence of up to twenty years. U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite praised the work of the New Orleans Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael B. Redmann is in charge of the prosecution. FORD's promise to KIRKSEY of $2,000 for her involvement highlights the lucrative nature of the cocaine trade and the desperation of those who are willing to engage in it.

The sentencing of FORD and KIRKSEY is a significant step in bringing to justice those who seek to profit from the sale of illicit narcotics. It is a reminder that law enforcement agencies remain vigilant in their efforts to disrupt and dismantle the networks that facilitate the distribution of cocaine and other controlled substances.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/houston-man-and-woman-plead-guilty-cocaine-smuggling-case