Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Texan pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell methamphetamine in the Winn Parish area.

Instead of proceeding with a federal jury trial scheduled to start today, Alwyn Nord Stewart Jr., 35, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Stewart; David Lamont Mangum, 36, of Winnfield, La.; Altomio Kente Phillips, 29, of Winnfield; and Demetrius Marie Jackson, 31, of Deridder, La., conspired to distribute methamphetamine transported from Houston to the Winnfield area from the beginning of 2011 until September 2012. Stewart was the supplier of methamphetamine to Mangum. Stewart and Mangum would arrange transport of the drugs to Louisiana, and other conspirators assisted with the delivery and distribution.

Stewart faces 20 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. He and the other conspirators also face forfeiture of the property seized during the case, which includes: $29,067, two plots of land in Winnfield, seven vehicles and other seized items. A sentencing date of April 2, 2015 was set. Mangum, Phillips and Jackson previously pleaded guilty and are set to be sentenced on January 22, 2015.

The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation named “Trend Setters.” The DEA conducted the investigation. The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles Jr., Brandon B. Brown and Joseph G. Jarzabek are prosecuting the case.