Latijeria Martin, a 38-year-old woman from Tangipahoa Parish, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder monetary funds. The guilty plea was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson and was entered before U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry on August 12, 2025.
Martin faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $500,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee at sentencing, which is scheduled for December 9, 2025. The case against Martin stems from a drug trafficking investigation into her boyfriend, Dequarius Hamler, which was initiated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2022.
According to court documents, Martin was involved in a scheme to launder proceeds from Hamler’s illegal drug trafficking activities. Between January 1, 2021, and September 9, 2023, Martin and Hamler made numerous cash deposits totaling $454,589.10 into seven different bank accounts. Martin’s deposits to and from bank accounts under her name totaled $328,159.10, while deposits to and from bank accounts under Hamler’s name totaled $126,430.
Martin would make these bank deposits and withdrawals at the direction and instruction of Hamler, whom she knew was a drug dealer whose drug activities were the source of these funds. Employees at these banks confirmed that Martin visited the bank often, sometimes multiple times a day, to make cash deposits and withdrawals. Frequently, the cash Martin deposited had the strong odor and residue of marijuana.
A bank employee informed Martin that the deposit and withdrawal actions amounted to criminal structuring and money laundering, and that the bank would no longer allow Martin to make these deposits. Martin relayed this information to Hamler, but despite this warning, Hamler continued to instruct Martin to continue concealing his drug proceeds through their bank accounts.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit. The effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The OCDETF Program is a key component of the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat organized crime and drug trafficking. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The guilty plea by Martin is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations in the region.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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