Georgia Woman Sentenced for Possessing Methamphetamine in Trunk of Car when Traveling Through Acadiana Area

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Sarah Rose Cea, 34, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, has been sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph to 180 months (15 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, on drug trafficking charges. 

On June 8, 2023, Cea was stopped while traveling on Interstate 10 near Lafayette, Louisiana by troopers with the Louisiana State Police. Cea was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the traffic stop.  A Louisiana State Police K-9 conducted an open air sniff of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics in Cea’s vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and law enforcement agents located approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in the trunk of her vehicle. The seized substance was sent to the criminalistics laboratory for testing, and it was confirmed to be approximately 19,943 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with a substance purity of 100%. 

At the guilty plea hearing on July 31, 2024, Cea admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to another individual. 

The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel.

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