Lionel George Somersall, Jr., Methamphetamine Trafficking, Louisiana 2021

A Shreveport, LA man has been sentenced to 195 months in prison for his role in a major methamphetamine trafficking operation.

Lionel George Somersall, Jr., 45, of Many, LA, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.

The charges stem from a traffic stop made by a Sabine Parish Sheriff's Office deputy on September 13, 2021, when Somersall was driving a vehicle without a proper license plate. A K9 deputy was brought to the scene and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.

Deputies searched the vehicle and found a Charter Arms .38 Special revolver inside, which had been reported as stolen. Somersall and his passenger, who were both convicted felons, were prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Agents learned that Somersall's passenger told a co-defendant that she had thrown a bag full of illegal drugs out the window of the vehicle prior to them being stopped. A subsequent search was conducted of the area and deputies found a bag containing ammunition and receipts to Somersall. In addition, they discovered approximately 170 grams of methamphetamine inside the bag.

The investigation also revealed that Somersall had text messages on his phone discussing the distribution of methamphetamine. Somersall later admitted to law enforcement agents that he possessed the firearm located inside the vehicle.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Sabine Parish Sheriff's Office, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody.

The investigation and conviction of Somersall is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/many-la-man-sentenced-illegal-possession-methamphetamine-and-firearm