Slidell man Kenneth Martin, 45, is headed to federal prison for a decade after being sentenced yesterday on charges tied to the distribution of fentanyl and heroin, and the possession of multiple firearms during a drug trafficking conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser confirmed the 10-year sentence, followed by six years of supervised release, handed down by Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown in New Orleans.
Martin entered a guilty plea on October 18, 2018, admitting to distributing at least 40 grams of fentanyl and 100 grams of heroin between May 23, 2016, and August 2, 2017. He also pled guilty to seven separate counts of drug distribution, as well as being a felon in possession of three firearms: a revolver, a semi-automatic pistol, and a shotgun. Prosecutors successfully applied a sentencing enhancement based on Martin’s prior drug convictions.
Court documents reveal that the weapons were strategically tied to Martin’s operation. The shotgun was recovered from a stash house in New Orleans East, where agents also seized over two ounces of heroin. The revolver was found in a vehicle at Martin’s Slidell residence—used in drug sales. The semi-automatic pistol was discovered at a bar in the Treme neighborhood, another known point of distribution.
Judge Brown split the sentence to reflect the severity of the firearm charge. Martin received five years for the drug distribution and felon-in-possession counts, to be followed by an additional five years—consecutive—for possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
The investigation was a joint operation involving Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local law enforcement from both St. Bernard Parish and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Offices. Their coordinated effort dismantled a network that flooded parts of metro New Orleans with lethal synthetic opioids.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses prosecuted the case. U.S. Attorney Strasser commended the investigative teams for their relentless pursuit of a dealer who put lives at risk with high-volume fentanyl and heroin distribution, all while arming himself to protect a criminal enterprise.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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