Violent Drug Dealer Sentenced To Life Imprisonment

BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced that United States District Court Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced JEFFREY D. PERRY, age 32, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, yesterday to serve life imprisonment, followed by a prison term of fifteen years.  Judge Dick also ordered PERRY to forfeit drug trafficking related proceeds of up to $10,505,205.

Following a multi-week jury trial in September 2014, PERRY was convicted of conspiring to distribute cocaine and “crack” cocaine, distributing cocaine and “crack” cocaine, car-jacking, possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking crimes, and possessing firearms while a convicted felon.

During yesterday’s sentencing, the Court found that PERRY made his living trafficking drugs and that he did whatever it took to protect his drug trafficking enterprise.  As an example of his danger to the community, the Court noted that reliable evidence suggested that PERRY had hired an individual and two young men to set an elderly man’s house on fire. These two young men died later that day as a result of burns they sustained from the arson they had committed.  During sentencing, the Court noted PERRY’s cold-blooded and callous statements about one of the arsonists, as he lay dying in his backyard, seeking medical assistance for the injuries he sustained from the fire PERRY had hired him to set.

Evidence at trial showed that, from August 2006 until September 2011, PERRY led a drug-trafficking endeavor within Baton Rouge operating largely on Evergreen Street, Louisiana Street, and Delphine Street, which distributed kilogram and multi-ounce amounts of cocaine and “crack” cocaine.  Customers used cash, stolen equipment, firearms, and food stamps to purchase in those locations varying amounts of cocaine and “crack” cocaine from PERRY.  He used “crack” addicts to test the quality of the “crack” he cooked before selling it to others.

As the Court found, PERRY often used violence.  As another example, evidence at trial showed that PERRY solicited the assistance of Mark Allen to rob another individual who had been supplying him with kilogram amounts of cocaine.   A few days after this robbery, PERRY enlisted Allen’s assistance to rob one of his customers of approximately $80,000.   During this robbery, Allen shot and wounded the customer and car-jacked him.  After Allen met PERRY and handed the cash he had taken during the armed robbery over to PERRY, the latter rewarded Allen, whom he then knew to be a convicted felon, with an ounce of “crack” cocaine and a Taurus .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol to protect himself against any reprisals the victim or his friends might take as a result of the robbery Allen had committed.

Other Defendants

• On August 31, 2011, following trial, a jury convicted Donald Frank of conspiracy to distribute cocaine for conduct arising from his drug trafficking endeavors, on behalf of PERRY.   On March 6, 2012, he was sentenced to serve a time of life imprisonment by United States District Judge James J. Brady.

• On June 16, 2015, Judge Dick sentenced Jermaine Chapman who, along with PERRY, had also been convicted of drug trafficking and firearm related violations at trial, to a forty-five year term of imprisonment.

• On June 18, 2015, Judge Dick sentenced Charles Boyer who, along with PERRY and Chapman, had also been convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, to a ten year term of imprisonment.

U.S. Attorney Green stated:  “Justice has been served and a community has been freed from a violent menace.  The defendant has brutalized and victimized neighborhoods for years while growing a drug trafficking empire responsible for the distribution of over $10 million worth of cocaine into our community.  His culture of violence and drugs undermined all those struggling to raise children without those influences.  Given the defendant’s past and present misconduct, I believe Judge Dick’s sentence of life imprisonment is entirely appropriate.  I am extremely proud and grateful of the prosecutors and agents whose dedication and hard work have made our community safer.” 

DEA Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Joseph W. Shepherd stated, “Perry and his cohorts, through violence, intimidation, and domestic drug trafficking attempted to hold this community hostage.  This life sentence is a resounding statement to the citizens of the Greater Baton Rouge area from DEA and the rest of our law enforcement partners that enough is enough.  For those contemplating a life of crime and drug dealing in our community, let this be a warning to you.”

This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert W. Piedrahita, who serves as Litigation Counsel within the United States Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorney Chris Dippel, who serves as a Deputy Criminal Chief.  This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Baton Rouge City Police, with valuable assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, and the Jefferson County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office.