Defendants Sentenced in Four Separate Cases

ALEXANDRIA/LAFAYETTE, La. - Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the resolution of numerous cases this week in United States District Court in the Western District of Louisiana, all of which are listed below.

SENTENCING HEARINGS – LAFAYETTE

Joshua L. Damond, 29, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 78 months (6 years, 5 months) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Damond was charged in an indictment and pleaded guilty on March 8, 2021.

In June 2020, Damond led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase after leaving the residence where his daughter lived with her mother. When Damond went to the residence where his daughter lived, the mother refused to allow him to enter the residence, but he kicked in the door and then got into a verbal altercation with her. The mother and daughter left, and he followed them. Law enforcement officers arrived on the scene and observed Damond leaving the area and attempted a traffic stop. He refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued. During the chase, officers observed Damond throw items from the vehicle. Other officers assisting in the chase stopped to find the item that was thrown and found a firearm wrapped in the blue shirt Damond had been wearing. He was apprehended and arrested. The firearm was determined to be stolen.

Damond has prior felony convictions for possession of cocaine (2014) and monies derived from drug violation and illegal possession of stolen firearm (2015) and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The ATF, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.

Shaun J. Labbe, 38, and Ana C. Smith, 33, both of Scott, Louisiana, have been sentenced by United States District Judge Robert L. Summerhays on drug trafficking charges. Labbe was sentenced to 210 months (17 years, 6 months) and Smith was sentenced to 72 months (6 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for each.

Labbe and Smith were indicted on March 18, 2020 and charged with drug trafficking and firearms charges. Labbe pleaded guilty March 5, 2021 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Smith pleaded guilty January 6, 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence introduced in court revealed that in 2018, agents with the Lafayette Parish Narcotics Unit began investigating Labbe and Smith who were suspected of selling large quantities of methamphetamine from their residence and his place of business. Law enforcement agents obtained search warrants for their residence and his place of business and in October 2018 executed those warrants. Agents found 370.7 grams of methamphetamine, 45.4 grams of marijuana and other narcotics, as well as over $8,000 in cash, two handguns, and other drug paraphernalia. During a search of Labbe’s place of business, agents found approximately 5,053 grams of methamphetamine which was hidden inside a child’s playhouse. Labbe admitted the seized items and cash found in the residence were his and that he was aware the narcotics were hidden in the business. Smith admitted to law enforcement that she knew about the items in the residence and that she participated in the distribution and sale of methamphetamine in Lafayette Parish.

The DEA, FBI and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the cases.

SENTENCING HEARINGS – ALEXANDRIA

United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced the following defendants in Alexandria:

Chace Middlebrooks, 37, of Evergreen, Louisiana, was sentenced to spend 59 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Middlebrooks was charged in an indictment and pleaded guilty March 26, 2021. According to court documents, Middlebrooks had an outstanding arrest warrant and on April 20, 2020, two Louisiana State Police troopers spotted a vehicle that belonged to him near a residence in Evergreen. As the troopers drove toward the vehicle, the driver who was later identified as Middlebrooks, led the troopers on a brief pursuit and after a short time they were able to stop the vehicle and arrest him. Middlebrooks admitted to having a sawed-off shotgun in his possession prior to the pursuit and troopers were able to find and seize the gun. Middlebrooks has four prior felony convictions for unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling (2009); theft and illegal possession of stolen things (2011); violation of a protective order (2019); and domestic abuse battery by strangulation (2019), and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The ATF and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.

Baldomero C. Velasco, 31, of Baytown, Texas, and Antonio Zarate, 22, of South Houston, Texas, were each sentenced on drug trafficking charges. Velasco and Zarate were each sentenced to 28 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release.  Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges on January 31, 2020.

Velasco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and admitted to conspiring with his co-defendants to willfully joining in the conspiracy and knew of its unlawful purpose. He stipulated and agreed that the conspiracy involved at least 500 grams or more of cocaine and that the acts took place in the Western District of Louisiana.

Zarate pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging interstate travel or transportation in aid of racketeering. He admitted that on March 16 and 17, 2018, he traveled from the State of Tennessee to the State of Louisiana with the specific intent of carrying out an unlawful activity, by conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security-Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the cases.

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