Elm Grove man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking pure methamphetamine

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Jonathon J. Hernandez, 39, of Elm Grove, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., to serve 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 381 grams of pure methamphetamine.  The sentence will be served consecutive to a state imposed sentence that Hernandez received for a parole violation related to a firearms conviction in the 26^th Judicial District Court, Benton, Louisiana.    

On November 14, 2018, a Haughton Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on Hernandez’s vehicle, near the intersection of Interstate 20 and Louisiana Highway 157, and discovered that he was operating an uninsured vehicle, was driving on a suspended driver’s license and had several past arrests for drugs and weapons offenses.  Hernandez consented to a search of the vehicle, where the officer found a small baggie of methamphetamine, a gallon-sized bag containing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and other drug paraphernalia including a scale, a glass pipe, a syringe, propane torches and empty pill capsules.  Hernandez later admitted to traveling to Dallas, Texas, to pick up one kilogram of methamphetamine and that he was transporting the drugs found in his vehicle.

Under federal law, certain drug charges carry mandatory minimum sentences.  In this case, Hernandez possessed more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, which carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years.  

The DEA and Haughton Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.