Tangipahoa Parish Men Charged With Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JERRY PEA, age 42 of Ponchatoula, and JAMES JACKSON, age 34 of Hammond, were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiring to distribute crack cocaine and heroin in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846; five counts of distributing crack cocaine and/or heroin in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), and one count each of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).

According to the indictment and an earlier-filed complaint, PEA and JACKSON conspired to distribute, and did in fact distribute, over 28 grams of crack cocaine and quantities of heroin across five days between March and May 2018, and each of the men possessed a firearm during at least one of those narcotics transactions. If convicted of the narcotics charges, PEA and JACKSON face terms of imprisonment of 5-40 years, fines of up to $5 million, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. If convicted of the firearms charges, PEA and JACKSON face terms of imprisonment of 5 years to run consecutive to any other sentence, fines of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Sandman is in charge of the prosecution