Melvin Smith, Heroin Conspiracy, Louisiana 2015

New Orleans Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Melvin Smith, 30, of New Orleans, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, five years of supervised release following his prison term, and a $100 special assessment for his role in a heroin conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt handed down the sentence on September 28, 2015, after Smith pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. His co-defendant, Theodore Griffin, 61, of New Orleans, also pleaded guilty to the same charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2015.

The investigation, led by the DEA New Orleans Police Department High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group, with assistance from the FBI and ATF, uncovered a heroin trafficking organization that used Griffin's residence in New Orleans East as a base of operations.

The defendants used 'dope' phones to communicate with suppliers, other co-conspirators, and customers, and would direct customers to rendezvous in parking lots or on side streets to conduct heroin sales. The investigation also revealed that in July 2013, a court-authorized wiretap intercepted calls relating to the sale of heroin to a person who died later that day as a result of a heroin overdose.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite praised the work of the investigators, saying that their efforts helped to dismantle the heroin trafficking activities of the group. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael B. Redmann and Mark A. Miller are in charge of the prosecution.

Melvin Smith Defendant Details:

• Defendant: Melvin Smith
• Criminal Charge: Conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin
• City and State: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Sentence: 120 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/one-defendant-sentenced-10-years-prison-another-pleads-guilty-heroin-conspiracy