Brandon James Willridge, a 41-year-old resident of Jennings, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 84 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays and includes an additional five years of supervised release.
The case against Willridge was presented by Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. According to court information, law enforcement officers were aware of Willridge's involvement in drug trafficking activities and had an active arrest warrant for him as early as January 2023.
On January 30, 2023, officers from the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office and Gueydan Police Department executed a traffic stop on Willridge based on the active warrant. During the stop, they discovered a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun under the driver's seat and several orange pills identified as Alprazolam in the vehicle's driver door console. Evidence suggested that Willridge was involved in narcotics trafficking in the Gueydan and Lake Arthur areas during this period.
Willridge pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on October 18, 2024. His criminal history includes prior felony convictions for false representation of a controlled substance in 2003 and possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2010.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office and Gueydan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.