Jessica Portway, Fentanyl Distribution, Louisiana 2026

Fentanyl Distribution Sentences in Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS – A trio of individuals from St. John the Baptist Parish and Jefferson Parish have been sentenced in a fentanyl distribution case, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.

Jessica Portway, 42, of St. John the Baptist Parish, Rachel Portway, 23, of Jefferson Parish, and Tyler Saladino, 25, of Jefferson Parish, were sentenced on May 13, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to a drug conspiracy, drug distribution, and possession with intent to distribute.

Tyler Saladino was sentenced to 48 months and three (3) years of supervised release as to Counts 1, 2, and 3. Jessica Portway was sentenced to thirty-seven (37) months as to Counts 1, 2, and 4 and three (3) years of supervised release. Rachel Portway was sentenced to time-served, three (3) years of supervised release and a 12-month period of home incarceration as to Counts 1, 2, and 3.

According to court documents, in August 2023, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) investigated an overdose death in Jefferson Parish that revealed the defendants conspired to distribute fentanyl in the Eastern District of Louisiana. As part of the conspiracy, Saladino and Rachel Portway sold pills containing fentanyl to the victim in Jefferson Parish.

The investigation further revealed that Rachel Portway had obtained the pills from Jessica Portway in the weeks leading up to the transaction and that Jessica Portway had received the pills from another individual in California. A search warrant was executed on Saladino and Rachel Portway’s shared residence and additional pills were recovered. Testing by the JPSO Crime Laboratory confirmed the pills contained fentanyl.

A search warrant was executed on Jessica Portway’s residence in LaPlace, Louisiana, and law enforcement also recovered 26 doses of LSD, a quantity of methamphetamine, and a quantity of fentanyl.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Briana Williams and Andre’ Jones of the Narcotics Unit.

The defendants were charged with the following crimes:

Drug conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 846), drug distribution (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)), and possession with intent to distribute (21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1)).

The case is a reminder of the devastating consequences of fentanyl distribution and the importance of holding those responsible accountable.

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