A Shreveport man has admitted to dealing drugs and packing heat to protect his illegal trade. Xavier Breonte Strickland, 29, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The arrest unfolded June 2, 2017, when parole officers arrived at Strickland’s residence on a parole violation. As they approached, they watched Strickland walk out of a bedroom. That movement triggered suspicion — and a search that turned up serious evidence. Under a green tote bag in the bedroom closet, authorities found a loaded .45 caliber Ruger SR1911 pistol with a single round chambered.
Just inches away, next to the bag, sat a black zipper pouch. Inside: a digital scale — a hallmark of drug distribution — and a bag containing 31 grams of marijuana. The setup was textbook: scales for weighing product, a weapon within reach, and a controlled substance ready for sale.
Strickland’s guilty plea, entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby, will only become final when U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote formally accepts it. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Shreveport Police Department, a joint effort targeting armed drug offenders.
Now, Strickland faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison just for the firearm charge — and that sentence must run consecutively to any time imposed for the drug count, which carries up to 20 years. On top of that, he’s staring down a potential $1 million fine and an additional five years of supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 1, 2018. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case. Strickland’s choices have landed him deep in the federal system — where time stacks fast, and freedom burns slow.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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