U.S. Department
of Justice
Press Release
Texas Man Sentenced For Part In Drug Conspiracy Distribution Ring
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Fernellis Woods, 37, of Irving, Texas, was sentenced on October 18, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 130 months in prison with five years of supervised release for conspiracy with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. He pleaded guilty May 15, 2013.
Woods along with co-defendants, German Rodriguez, Tyrone Thibeaux, John Dauphin and Glenn Charles were indicted in April 2012 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine between August 2008 and April 2011. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Rodriguez, of Houston, Texas, supplied multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine to a large scale Lafayette, La. drug trafficking/distribution organization including Woods and Thibeaux. On several occasions, Woods directed Charles to purchase cocaine from Rodriguez’s associate in Houston for distribution in the Lafayette area. On March 2, 2011, Charles delivered $44,000 to Rodriguez’s associate for payment of 2 kilograms of cocaine; on March 15, 2011, Charles delivered $36,000 to Rodriguez’s associate for payment of cocaine, and on March 30 2011, Charles picked up 2 kilograms of cocaine from Rodriguez’s associate to be delivered to Lafayette associates, to include Woods. Charles was stopped and arrested on the way to Lafayette. The approximate value of all the cocaine transferred from March 2, 2011 to March 30, 2011 was more than $115,000.
Woods along with co-defendants, German Rodriguez, Tyrone Thibeaux, John Dauphin and Glenn Charles were indicted in April 2012 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine between August 2008 and April 2011. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Rodriguez, of Houston, Texas, supplied multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine to a large scale Lafayette, La. drug trafficking/distribution organization including Woods and Thibeaux. On several occasions, Woods directed Charles to purchase cocaine from Rodriguez’s associate in Houston for distribution in the Lafayette area. On March 2, 2011, Charles delivered $44,000 to Rodriguez’s associate for payment of 2 kilograms of cocaine; on March 15, 2011, Charles delivered $36,000 to Rodriguez’s associate for payment of cocaine, and on March 30 2011, Charles picked up 2 kilograms of cocaine from Rodriguez’s associate to be delivered to Lafayette associates, to include Woods. Charles was stopped and arrested on the way to Lafayette. The approximate value of all the cocaine transferred from March 2, 2011 to March 30, 2011 was more than $115,000.
Rodriguez, Dauphin and Charles previously pleaded guilty, and Dauphin is currently scheduled for sentencing on Feb, 14, 2014. Dates for Rodriguez and Charles’ sentencings, and Thibeaux’s trial have not been set.
Woods was arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Carencro Louisiana Police Department, the Houston Texas Police Department and the Waller County Texas Sheriff’s Office participated in this OCDETF investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker is prosecuting the case.
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.
Updated May 26, 2017
Topic
Drug Trafficking