Tangipahoa Parish Man Indicted for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts

Published 7:21 am Friday, February 4, 2022

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL ALEXANDER, SR., a/k/a “Monsta,” age 39, a resident of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, was charged on December 16, 2021, in a sealed three-count indictment by a Federal Grand Jury with possession with intent to distribute heroin in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), and being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, on December 2, 2021, Drug Enforcement Administration Agents executed a federal search warrant on ALEXANDER’s home in Ponchatoula. During the search, Agents discovered approximately eleven ounces of heroin and five illegal guns.  Additionally, Agents seized $289,224.70 in U.S. currency.

If convicted of possession with intent to distribute heroin, ALEXANDER faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.  For possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, ALEXANDER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to life imprisonment, to run consecutive with any other sentence, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release.  If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, ALEXANDER faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. For each of the three counts of the indictment, ALEXANDER also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.