Sheon Copprue, 49, of New Orleans, is going down hard after pleading guilty today to a triple-barreled federal crime spree: flooding the city with methamphetamine, stockpiling weapons as a convicted felon, and bribing a U.S. Postal worker to deliver his deadly cargo. The charges, announced by U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser, expose a dangerous pipeline from California to the streets of New Orleans.
Copprue admitted in federal court to conspiring to distribute at least 50 grams of actual meth and over 500 grams of meth mixture—quantities that trigger a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison. The conspiracy reached across state lines, with Copprue working alongside ALLEN EDGERSON a/k/a “King,” DARNELL JOHNSON a/k/a “Yaggi,” and RACHEL CESARIO to ship bulk narcotics from California. But the operation had a corrupt inside man—or rather, woman.
Tonya Calvin, a postal employee, was allegedly paid off by Copprue to reroute drug-laced packages directly to him, bypassing standard inspection and delivery protocols. That act landed Copprue a separate count of bribery of a public official under 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(1). Federal authorities say the scheme ran until the feds moved in, uncovering a network built on corruption and addiction.
When agents raided Copprue’s properties, they didn’t just find drugs. They seized four firearms stashed at his home and a secondary stash house used for narcotics storage. As a felon, Copprue is legally barred from possessing any firearm—yet he armed himself while running a drug ring. That violation alone carries up to ten years behind bars.
The sentencing exposure is brutal. For the drug conspiracy: minimum ten years, up to life, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years supervised release. For the firearms count: up to ten years, $250,000 fine, three years supervised release. For bribing a public official: up to fifteen years, $250,000 fine, and another three years supervised. All charges will be judged at once, and Judge Sarah S. Vance has set the reckoning for December 9, 2020.
The investigation was a joint hammer blow from the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is leading the prosecution. Trial for the remaining defendants, including Edgerson, Johnson, Cesario, and Calvin, is set for October 5, 2020—just weeks before Copprue learns his fate.
Related Federal Cases
- Houma Postal Worker Took Bribes to Deliver Meth Parcels · Texas
- Ice Queen Rosas-Saucedo Gets 80 Months for Meth Ring · Alabama
- CA Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Distribution in LA · Texas
- Calif. Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth Distribution · Louisiana
- California Man Jailed 12 Years for Massive Meth Haul · Kentucky
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Public Corruption|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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