Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that Christopher Don Byerley, a 45-year-old resident from Broussard, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to several charges. These charges include conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle, altering vehicle identification numbers, possession of unauthorized access devices, conspiracy to traffic firearms, receipt of a trafficked firearm, and possession of an unregistered silencer.
Byerley, alongside Robert Gregory Brazell, Adrienne Marie King, and Dennis Loyd Sizemore, engaged in an operation from October 2021 to March 2022. Their activities stretched across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, involving the theft and sale of altered vehicles valued over $250,000. The vehicles included tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck.
The group employed fraudulent tactics such as operating a "chop shop," altering Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), and using fake businesses like "Hevyquip L.L.C." They also utilized tools like GPS signal blockers, vehicle plate flippers, and fake driver's licenses. To avoid detection, they used over 400 identities and access devices.
The investigation revealed Byerley, a convicted felon, illegally acquired a firearm fitted with an unregistered silencer. In February 2022, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered items from a stolen truck linked to Byerley, leading to the uncovering of the broader criminal enterprise.
Acting U.S. Attorney Leon commented, “These guilty pleas reflect the commitment of our office and federal law enforcement in partnership with our state and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle sophisticated criminal organizations and hold accountable those who pose a significant threat to public safety. We commend the prosecutors and investigators for their hard work and relentless pursuit of the members of this criminal enterprise and are appreciative of their efforts in solving these crimes—even with many attempts at evasion—and returned the stolen equipment to their rightful owners.”
The investigation was a collaboration between multiple agencies, including the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Jason Ard remarked, “The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office is committed to conducting thorough investigations and to working with our local and federal agencies. This investigation is a great example of detectives working a shoplifting incident and that turning into a major investigation across this state and others.”
Adam Parks of Homeland Security Investigations praised the joint effort, stating, “The investigations of these sophisticated crimes are most effectively accomplished through the coordination of multiple law enforcement agencies and across several jurisdictional boundaries, such as what occurred in this investigation.”
ATF New Orleans Special Agent Joshua Jackson stated, “The ATF is working closely with local and state police agencies to address firearm trafficking by getting guns out of the hands of criminals, such as this individual.”
This case was pursued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ATF (Baton Rouge and Lafayette Field Divisions), and several local sheriff and police departments. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III, duly appointed as a Special Assistant in the Western District of Louisiana, alongside Assistant United States Attorney John Nickel.