NATCHITOCHES, LA – A network of meth dealers in the Natchitoches area is crumbling after seven individuals received federal prison sentences totaling over 109 years. The sentences, handed down by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, mark the culmination of a lengthy investigation by the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force (NMJDTF) and federal authorities.
The most substantial sentence went to Louis Vernon Jackson, 39, of Natchitoches, who received a staggering 360 months (30 years) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Jackson wasn’t just dealing; the jury convicted him of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was the only defendant to take the case to trial, a gamble that clearly failed.
The operation, which began in early March 2020, revealed a sophisticated drug distribution network stretching across northwest Louisiana. Investigators identified James Christopher Weeks, 51, of Montgomery, and his daughter, Savannah Maria Weeks, 31, of Arcadia, as major players. James Weeks, unbelievably, was directing operations from within the Yazoo City Medium federal prison facility, where he was already serving a 192-month sentence for a previous drug conspiracy. Using Facebook Messenger, he communicated with his daughter, Adam James Johnson, 41, of Natchitoches, and others to continue the flow of meth.
A crucial break in the case came on March 26, 2020, when a K9 unit with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Riverside, California, alerted on a package headed to Savannah Weeks’ home in Arcadia. A search revealed six pounds of methamphetamine. James Weeks later admitted his involvement. Other key figures in the conspiracy included Eric Joseph Sandifer, 36, of Pineville, sentenced to 120 months (10 years), and Ashley Danielle Dowden, 39, of Natchitoches, who received 96 months (eight years). Candiace Shree Bronson, 39, of Alexandria, was sentenced to 78 months (six years, six months).
Adam James Johnson, pleading guilty on March 16, 2023, received 235 months (19 years, seven months), while Savannah Weeks, who entered a guilty plea on June 29, 2022, will spend 78 months (six years, six months) behind bars. All defendants will also be subject to periods of supervised release following their imprisonment. U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentences, emphasizing the commitment of federal agencies to dismantling drug trafficking organizations.
This case highlights not only the prevalence of methamphetamine in Louisiana, but the brazen lengths traffickers will go to – even operating from behind bars – to continue their criminal enterprises. The combined 109+ year sentences should send a clear message: dealing death in Natchitoches, and elsewhere, carries severe consequences. The investigation was led by the ATF, with assistance from HSI and the NMJDTF.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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