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Press Release

New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOPPA JACKSON (“JACKSON”), age 35, of New Orleans, pled guilty yesterday to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of powder cocaine.

 

According to court documents, JACKSON, along with codefendants CRAIG JAMES, LAZANDY DANIELS, AND LEON JACKSON, JR., conspired to distribute cocaine in the New Orleans area. In 2015, JAMES, who is from Houston, traveled to New Orleans multiple times per month in order to deliver multi-kilogram quantities of powder cocaine to his local customers, including JACKSON, DANIELS, and LEON JACKSON, JR. JACKSON, DANIELS, and LEON JACKSON, JR. then sold the cocaine to users and other drug dealers in the New Orleans area.

 

Because JACKSON has a prior felony drug conviction, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a maximum life sentence, a possible fine of $8,000,000, and a period of supervised release of 8 years. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo will sentence JACKSON on August 10, 2017. JAMES AND LEON JACKSON, JR. previously pled guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on June 8, 2017. DANIELS has a trial date of June 12, 2017.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon S. Long and Theodore Carter are in charge of the prosecution

Updated May 12, 2017

Topic
Drug Trafficking