Harvey Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Federal Drug and Gun Charges

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – FREDERICK TURNER, age 51, a resident of Harvey, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 14, 2023 to 151 months imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

TURNER previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine hydrochloride and a quantity of cocaine base (“crack”), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).

According to court documents, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation revealed that TURNER was involved in a narcotics distribution conspiracy with several other co-conspirators between June 8, 2020, and June 5, 2021.  As part of the conspiracy, TURNER regularly distributed amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine.  Additionally, officers executed a search warrant at TURNER’s residence and seized an illegal shotgun from TURNER.

This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.