NEW ORLEANS MAN PLED GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF DRUGS AND A GUN
STEVE CASTON, age 49, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty yesterday before U. S. District Sarah Vance to a four-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute over fifty grams of crack cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, felon-in-possession of a firearm, and possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced United States Attorney Jim Letten.
According the factual basis, in January, 2009, while under surveillance, CASTON retrieved a quantity of cocaine from his residence. Subsequently, a confidential source purchased the cocaine from CASTON and his co-defendant Larry Edwards. Following the sale of the cocaine, agents, while executing a search warrant on CASTON’s house, located over $55,000 in U. S. Currency, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, and a quantity of cocaine.
CASTON faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a fine of $4,000,000.00, and 5 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing has been scheduled for January 12, 2011. Co-defendant Larry Edwards previously pled guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2010.
The case was investigated by the New Orleans Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Spiro Latsis and Chris Cox.
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