United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. has announced the sentencing of Demarlo Brown to 211 months in federal prison. Brown, a 42-year-old resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was convicted for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Judge John W. deGravelles also sentenced Brown to five years of supervised release following his imprisonment and ordered the forfeiture of proceeds from his drug trafficking crimes, along with firearms and ammunition seized by law enforcement.
The case emerged from an extensive investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), targeting a drug trafficking network operating in East Baton Rouge Parish and surrounding areas.
According to admissions made during his guilty plea, between March and September 2019, Brown led a drug distribution organization in Baton Rouge that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. Law enforcement raids on his home and other associated locations resulted in the seizure of over 27 ounces of methamphetamine, 2.7 ounces of heroin, and 1.6 ounces of fentanyl. Additionally, two firearms and 38 rounds of ammunition were confiscated from Brown's illegal possession intended for protection against threats to himself or his illicit activities. In total, six firearms and 168 rounds were seized during these operations.
Brown was previously convicted as a felon prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. In April 2024, before acquiring the two firearms mentioned above, he had been convicted in the 19th Judicial District Court for armed robbery with a sentence of ten years at hard labor.
The investigation involved collaboration among several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office; Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office; and Baton Rouge City Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and Jessica Jarreau who is also Deputy Chief of the Organized and Violent Crime Unit within the U.S Attorney’s Office.
This operation is part of OCDETF's efforts which focus on identifying high-level criminal organizations threatening national security through intelligence-driven multi-agency collaborations led by prosecutors.
Further details about OCDETF can be accessed at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.