U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Lafourche Parish Resident Guilty of Federal Drug and Firearm Offenses
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on November 20, 2024, FAUSTIN WILLIAMS, (“WILLIAMS”), age 46, of Thibodaux, Louisiana pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to one count of possessing, with the intent to distribute, an amount of cocaine and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. Judge Africk scheduled sentencing for March 12, 2025.
As to the drug count, WILLIAMS faces up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release. As to the firearm count, WILLIAMS faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Both counts also carry a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court records, on June 5, 2024, multiple law enforcement agencies executed search warrants on several residences in Lafourche Parish stemming from an investigation into a cocaine and methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. This conspiracy operated throughout Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes, within the Eastern District of Louisiana. WILLIAMS was found inside a residence during a search and possessed two firearms and cocaine, packaged for distribution. WILLIAMS is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior cocaine distribution convictions.
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 effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Contact
Shane M. Jones
Public Information Officer
United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Department of Justice
Updated November 22, 2024
Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods