A New Orleans man has entered a guilty plea on charges related to a widespread fentanyl distribution ring, including federal gun violations and money laundering. Anthony Windell Brown, 30, acknowledged his involvement in the conspiracy, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson last month. Brown will face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and possibly life in prison, with additional fines and supervised release terms applying to each charge.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Brown had been actively conspiring to distribute significant amounts of fentanyl dating back to before March 2022, and up until late May of 2024. The case paints a grim picture of drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Brown attempted to possess, and also distribute, over 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl on multiple occasions. Additionally, in May 2024, he was found in possession of several firearms, which included a stolen pistol, during a drug trafficking crime. This kind of operation is exactly the sort to thrust communities more deeply into the frustrations of the opioid epidemic.
The investigation into Brown’s activities was part of the broader efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which uses an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to dismantle high-level criminal organizations. Moreover, the case also fell under the auspices of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and make communities safer by fostering trust among law enforcement and the communities they serve, while focusing on strategic enforcement and violence prevention strategies…