Thomas Hilliard, James Brown, Christian Johnson, Alex Lewis, Willie Hilliard, Drug Trafficking, Louisiana 2013

Five New Orleans Gang Members Indicted on Drug and Gun Charges

THOMAS HILLIARD, 22, CHRISTIAN JOHNSON, 23, ALEX LEWIS, 20, JAMES BROWN, 22, and WILLIE HILLIARD, 23, all residents of New Orleans, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Friday, April 12, 2013, on several counts involving the distribution of cocaine base (“crack”) and the illegal possession of firearms.

According to the indictment, beginning at a time unknown and continuing until on or about June 7, 2012, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, THOMAS HILLIARD, CHRISTIAN JOHNSON, ALEX LEWIS, JAMES BROWN, and WILLIE HILLIARD did knowingly and intentionally conspire and agree to distribute two hundred-eighty grams or more of cocaine base (“crack”).

During that same period, THOMAS HILLIARD and WILLIE HILLIARD, CHRISTIAN JOHNSON and ALEX LEWIS also conspired to possess firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy. Also, as part of the indictment, THOMAS HILLIARD, CHRISTIAN JOHNSON, and JAMES BROWN were charged with using a communication facility to facilitate a drug crime. CHRISTIAN JOHNSON was additionally charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and WILLIE HILLIARD was charged with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of crack cocaine.

If convicted of all counts, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment.

The indictment was the result of an investigation conducted by the newly formed NOPD Multi Agency Gang Unit, which is comprised of NOPD detectives and federal agents. During the course of this investigation, all five individuals were identified as belonging to a gang known as “MMG” that distributed crack cocaine and illegally possessed firearms to further their drug trafficking activities in the Seventh Ward area of New Orleans.

The Multi Agency Gang Unit was created within the ranks of the New Orleans Police Department with significant support from other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. There are also two Assistant District Attorneys and two United States Attorneys assigned to this group to try and coordinate the prosecution of these various gang members in both federal and state courts.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Drug Trafficking

Tyrone Pennick, Cocaine Conspiracy, New York 2016

May 31, 2024

Drug Trafficking

Zavion McGee, Methamphetamine Possession, Missouri 2022

Dec 2, 2022

Drug Trafficking

Joseph McGregor, Possession with Intent to Distribute, South Dakota 2013

Jun 22, 2015

Drug Trafficking

Kevin Peterson, Alpha-PVP Conspiracy, Pennsylvania 2017

Feb 14, 2017