U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that ERVIN SPOONER, a/k/a “Nerky," age 27; TRE CLEMENTS, age 24; and ROMALIS PARKER, a/k/a “Ro Ro," age 22, all residents of New Orleans, were sentenced today after having previously pled guilty to federal firearm and drug violations. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced SPOONER to 108 months of incarceration, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release. CLEMENTS was 96 sentenced to months of incarceration, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release. PARKER was sentenced to 70 months of incarceration, to be followed by 4 years of supervised release.
SPOONER, CLEMENTS, and PARKER were three of twelve defendants charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine base in the St. Roch neighborhood. In addition, all twelve defendants were charged with conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. Three defendants were also charged with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization Act, as well as substantive acts of violence.
To date, eight defendants charged in this case have pled guilty to various charges. Co-defendant ANDREALIE LEWIS was previously sentenced to 48 months incarceration. The following co-defendants are currently pending several sentencing hearings over the next three months: NYSON JONES, a/k/a “Nycie," age 31, MORRIS SUMMERS, age 25, TYONE BURTON, a/k/a “Peanut," age 22, TYRONE BURTON, a/k/a “Man Man," age 21; and PERRY WILSON, a/k/a “Yummy," age 24. The following defendants were convicted following trial and are pending sentencing as well: DELOYD JONES, a/k/a “Puggy," age 23; BYRON JONES, a/k/a/ “Big Baby," age 25; and SIDNEY PATTERSON, a/k/a “Duda Man," age 24.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members and associates of the “Ride or Die" gang, which they also referred to as “R.O.D." The Ride or Die gang was initially formed in or about 2007 and continued to exist through in or about 2013. During the course of the federal investigation into the gang, agents learned that the defendants used a house, located at 1632 Mandeville Street, among other locations, as a base of operations to package, sell, and store narcotics, as well as store firearms.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of the metro area’s Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MAG) in investigating this matter. As an integral component of NOLA FOR LIFE’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, the MAG Unit consists of a partnership with New Orleans Police Department (NOPD); Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office (DA); Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO); Louisiana State Police (LSP); Parole Board of the Louisiana Department of Corrections; United States Attorney’s Office (USAO); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); United States Marshal’s Service (USMS); and the United States Probation & Parole Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Assistant United States Attorneys Nolan D. Paige, Marquest Meeks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Ebarb are in charge of the prosecution.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
