Two Lake Charles Men Sentenced on Drug Trafficking and Firearms Charges

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two Lake Charles men have been sentenced for illegally possessing firearms and drugs, including fentanyl.  United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the defendants as follows:

Johnathan C. Norwood, 42, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  In early 2023, law enforcement agents investigated the suspected involvement of Norwood with drug distribution in the Calcasieu Parish area. On April 3, 2023, a traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle being driven by Norwood in order to arrest him pursuant to an active arrest warrant. During the traffic stop, agents searched Norwood’s vehicle and found approximately 29.21 grams of cocaine and over $3,000 in cash inside. A subsequent search warrant was obtained for his residence and upon execution, law enforcement officers found and seized four firearms and ammunition, approximately 6,535.3 grams of cocaine, 128,923.95 grams of marijuana, over 50 pill tablets containing hydrocodone, and over $80,000 in cash. Through their further investigation, agents learned that two of the seized firearms had been reported as stolen from their lawful owners. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and the Combined Anti-Drug Task Force in Calcasieu Parish and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Danny Siefker.

The second defendant, Cohaynee D. Jones, 28, was sentenced to 72 months (6 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.  On April 20, 2022, agents with the Combined Anti-Drug Task Force in Calcasieu Parish had four arrest warrants for Jones which were all active. Agents executed the warrants at his residence on 10^th Street in Lake Charles and found Jones asleep on the couch with a rifle on the headrest where he was laying. Jones was taken into custody and a search of his residence was executed. Officers found two additional firearms on the couch where Norwood was laying, with one having been reported as stolen.  Jones has a previous felony conviction for aggravated battery from 2020 and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.  In addition, officers conducted a search of a rental vehicle in Jones’ driveway which officers had observed him driving. Inside the vehicle was a backpack containing several Ziploc bags with a substance that appeared to be narcotics, along with mail addressed to Jones. The substance was seized and sent to the crime lab for testing and confirmed to weigh approximately 57 grams and contained a detectable amount of fentanyl. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog.

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