Two Men Plead Guilty in Methamphetamine-Trafficking Conspiracy

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JEFFREY CLINES, age 53, of New Orleans, and JACOB HIGGINBOTHAM, age 24, of Houma, pled guilty today to one count of conspiring to traffic 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Louisiana.  Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, a maximum life sentence, a fine of up to $10,000,000 and at least five years of supervised release.  

CLINES and HIGGINBOTHAM are two of 11 defendants charged in a 23-count federal indictment.  Specifically, the indictment alleges that CLINES and HIGGINBOTHAM conspired to sell large quantities of methamphetamine with codefendants Stefen Daigle, Peter Giandalone, Paul Melancon, James Hatch, Angel Renee Vidaure, Eulalio Torres-Cadenas, Delio Alfredo Lopez-Lopez, Lindsey Lopez, and Julien Polk.  The indictment also alleges a number of individual acts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as firearm offenses for codefendants Hatch, Vidaure, and Lopez-Lopez.  Law enforcement developed evidence against this group of defendants using controlled purchases of methamphetamine, traffic stops and seizures, consensually recorded text messages and phone calls, search warrants, cooperator information, and self-incriminating statements.