New Orleans Man Sentenced to 20 Years Imprisonment in Interstate Heroin Case

Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LEJEUNE HARRIS, age 43, of New Orleans, was sentenced today. HARRIS previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more heroin, and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more heroin.

U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced HARRIS to 240 months imprisonment on the drug conspiracy and 120 months each on the possession and attempted possession charges, to run concurrently. HARRIS was also placed on ten years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

According to court records, during a traffic stop of a Fiat on Interstate-10 East in Calcasieu Parish, law enforcement officers found four packages of heroin weighing approximately one kilogram in total. The driver admitted that LARRY DUPOR of Houston had paid her $1,000 in cash to deliver the heroin to HARRIS at a car wash in New Orleans East. The driver stated that she had made similar trips before to deliver heroin between DUPOR and HARRIS. The driver agreed to assist law enforcement by following through with a delivery of ‘sham’ heroin to HARRIS. While under law enforcement surveillance, the driver was met by HARRIS, who took the ‘sham’ packages weighing approximately 750 kilograms in total and then handed the driver $2,000 in cash. HARRIS entered the car wash office and was detained by surveillance agents. Agents obtained a search warrant for the car wash office and recovered an additional 479 grams of heroin in a hidden area where HARRIS had stored the three packages of ‘sham’ heroin.

DUPOR pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and attempted distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin. DUPOR is scheduled for sentencing on April 6, 2017.

Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael B. Redmann and Shirin Hakimzadeh were in charge of the prosecution.