Slidell Man Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy Involving Over 10,000 Grams of Fentanyl, a Firearm, and Money Laundering following Homeland Security Task Force Investigation

NEW ORLEANS - GREGORY SMITH, JR. ("SMITH"), age 43, of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced to 151 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier on October 22, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Money Laundering Control Act, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.

SMITH previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, over 400 grams of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. SMITH also pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Additionally, SMITH pled guilty to three counts of engaging in monetary transactions derived from specified unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1957.

The Court also imposed a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.

"The shared mission of the Homeland Security Task Force is to leverage the assets of all participating partner agencies to aggressively dismantling the criminal networks that dangerous and potentially fatal drugs in our communities," stated U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. "Together, we will continue to enforce the laws of the land and to protect the public that we are proud to serve."

"Through the hard work of our Homeland Security Task Force, we dismantled not only a massive fentanyl operation, but also the elaborate financial illusion built behind it," said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Randy Harness. "This defendant went to great lengths to launder drug proceeds into luxury vehicles and real estate to fund a lifestyle built on community destruction. Our federal team followed the paper trail and proved that no amount of financial maneuvering can hide illegal drug money from justice."

"Through strong law enforcement partnerships, Louisiana State Police remains committed to dismantling organized criminal networks across Louisiana, from our largest cities to our smallest towns," said Colonel Frank Besson, Louisiana State Police Superintendent. "These investigations are only one part of the process. Working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to successfully prosecute those responsible is essential to achieving justice and holding offenders accountable. This partnership ensures our investigative efforts carry through to the courtroom, helping protect our communities and disrupt criminal activity across the state."

According to court documents, SMITH conspired with others to distribute fentanyl in the Eastern District of Louisiana and elsewhere. On May 4, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) searched SMITH's residence and seized approximately 10,593.572 grams of fentanyl, 3.76 grams of cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia including two digital scales with fentanyl residue, a rectangle cake pan with fentanyl residue, multiple blenders with fentanyl residue, and a vacuum sealer with fentanyl residue. Law enforcement also seized $15,520 in United States currency and a Masterpiece Arms MPA Defender, nine-millimeter semi-automatic submachine gun, with an extended magazine that contained nine-millimeter caliber cartridges. In July and August of 2021, SMITH structured cash deposits of his illegal narcotics proceeds into an account at a bank, then sent a wire to a credit union account using the funds to pay-off the balance on a car and to purchase an official check in the amount of $27,617.55 made out to a title company. The official check to the title company was used at the closing of the purchase of SMITH's residence. SMITH also used $48,931 in illegal drug proceeds to purchase a 2018 Maserati Levante.

United States Attorney David I. Courcelle praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and André Jones of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.

This prosecution is a part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard Investigative Service and includes the Louisiana State Police, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

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