New Orleans man guilty of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine (DOJ)

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - RAYNELL PEARSON ("PEARSON"), age 48, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 10, 2026 to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.

PEARSON faces a mandatory minimum term of 60 months imprisonment and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, a fine up to $5,000,000.00, at least 4 years supervised release after his term of imprisonment, and a mandatory assessment fee of $100.00. According to court documents, the Government and PEARSON, however, entered into an 11(c)(1)(C) plea agreement, the terms of which call for an agreed upon sentence of 60 months imprisonment.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier will sentence PEARSON on December 17, 2026.

According to court documents, PEARSON was developed as a target after reviewing extensive phone evidence from another related drug trafficking investigation. The phone evidence contained extensive text messages, from February 10, 2022, to January 12, 2023, between PEARSON and a source of supply, which document the sale of 500 grams or more of cocaine to PEARSON by the source of supply during that period. PEARSON admitted that he intended to resell the cocaine to others.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Privitera of the Violent Crime Unit.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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Contact

Shane M. Jones

Public Information Officer

United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

United States Department of Justice

Updated September 14, 2026