NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 that RAYDELL SCOTT, age 46, a resident of Mount Airy, Louisiana, and MORGAN BURL, III, age 43, a resident of Houma, Louisiana, were sentenced in the United States District Court in connection with their pleas of guilty. SCOTT pled guilty to a three-count superseding bill of information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, a quantity of heroin, a quantity of fentanyl, and a quantity of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), (b)(1)(C), and 846 (Count 1), obstruction of justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(c)(1) (Count 2), and felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) (Count 3). BURL pled guilty to a two-count superseding bill of information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride, 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(B), and 846 (Count 1) and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i) (Count 2).
United States District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced SCOTT to 60 months imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons. Following his term of imprisonment, SCOTT will be placed on supervised release for a period of 4 years. The court did not impose a fine, but imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $300.00.
Judge Milazzo sentenced BURL to 70 months as to Count 1. For Count 2, Judge Milazzo sentenced BURL to 60 months imprisonment. The Court ordered that the sentence imposed in Court 2 run consecutively to the sentence imposed in Count 1. BURL will be placed on supervised release for a period of 5 years. While a fine was not imposed, a mandatory special assessment fee of $200.00 was imposed.
According to court documents, SCOTT and BURL, conspired with others to sell over 500 grams of cocaine, over 100 grams of heroin, over 40 grams of fentanyl, and over 5 grams of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Louisiana. On April 12, 2019, SCOTT attempted to destroy a quantity of heroin while fleeing from officers during a traffic stop. Federal agents later executed a search warrant at SCOTT’s residence on May 30, 2019. Agents located a Ruger Model P89, nine-millimeter caliber firearm inside of the residence. SCOTT, a convicted felon, was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm at the time he possessed the firearm.
Agents also executed a search warrant at BURL’s residence where inside they found heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Numerous firearms were also located, including: a Kel Tec semiautomatic pistol; an AR-15 .22 caliber rifle; a Taurus .45 caliber pistol; a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson firearm; a Jimenez nine-millimeter semiautomatic firearm; a Titan .25 caliber firearm; a Norinco assault rifle; a Sears & Roebuck 12-gauge shotgun; and a .410 pump shotgun.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany L. Reed is in charge of the prosecution.
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