Press Releases
NEW ORLEANS MAN INDICTED FOR MURDER OF DEA SUPERVISORY
SPECIAL AGENT THOMAS J. BYRNE
December 11, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AMEAL PARKER, a/k/a Ameal Varnado, age 46, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by a Federal Grand Jury today in a one-count indictment with the murder of DEA Supervisory Special Agent Thomas J. Byrne, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to the indictment, on August 28, 2008, Supervisory Special Agent Byrne was visiting New Orleans in his official capacity while attending the U. S. Department of Justice-sponsored Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Southeast Regional Conference. The conference, which took place at local downtown hotel, began on August 26, 2008. Supervisory Special Agent Byrne died on August 30, 2008 at Tulane University Hospital from injuries he received from a beating during an assault and robbery in early morning hours of Thursday, August 28, 2008.
PARKER is presently in custody being held on state charges arising out of his alleged attempted use of a credit card stolen from Special Agent Byrne. If convicted of the charges in the federal indictment, the defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
These federal murder charges are the result of an intensive joint investigation conducted by Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. S. Marshals Service, New Orleans Police Department and Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office. Crimestoppers was also actively involved in efforts to gather pertinent information about the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Supervisory Special Agent Byrne was a 16-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Administration, most recently assigned to the Houston Division, he was married, with four children.
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