Vacherie man sentenced on drug charges; arrested by St. John Sheriff’s Officers

Published 11:36 am Wednesday, January 25, 2023

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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – STEPHEN CHENIER, age 40,  a resident of Vacherie, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 11, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to sixty-six (66) months’ imprisonment, four (4) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $300.00 special assessment fee after pleading guilty to two counts of distribution of fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, all in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court documents, on January 6, 2021 and February 3, 2021, Special Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration used a confidential source to make controlled purchases of methamphetamine from CHENIER.  On February 18, 2021, the agents used the confidential source to arrange a third controlled purchase of methamphetamine from CHENIER in Gramercy, Louisiana.  After CHENIER left his residence in Vacherie and drove toward Gramercy to meet the confidential source, St. John Parish Sheriff’s deputies executed a traffic stop of CHENIER for a violation.  While a deputy was writing a citation for CHENIER, a canine from the Sheriff’s Office conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle and detected the odor of an illegal controlled substance.  After CHENIER admitted that he smoked marijuana in the vehicle, deputies searched the vehicle and located 111.6 grams of methamphetamine.  CHENIER acknowledged ownership of the methamphetamine and told the officers there was more methamphetamine at his house.  CHENIER led the deputies to his residence where they seized an additional 76.7 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.