NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that BRITTANY THEOPHILE, age 30, and RACHELLE KELSON, age 25, both of the greater New Orleans area, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, to charges relating to their use of a telephone to commit, cause or facilitate the commission of a crime (an attempt to introduce controlled substances into the Orleans Parish Prison).
As stated in the Factual Basis, ELTON WILLIAMS, an inmate at the Orleans Justice Center jail, solicited the assistance of his relative, CIBONEY PARKER (a civilian employee of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office), and two friends, THEOPHILE and KELSON, to smuggle drugs into the jail. THEOPHILE and KELSON provided the drugs, including marijuana, heroin, and Tramadol, to PARKER during her work shift. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Division became aware of the plan through audio and visual surveillance and detained PARKER before she could gain access to WILLIAMS. WILLIAMS and PARKER are scheduled for trial on Dec. 10, 2018 before District Judge Jolivette Brown.
THEOPHILE and KELSON each face a maximum term of imprisonment of four (4) years, are subject to a fine of up to $250,000, and, upon release, they will serve a one year term of supervised release. Sentencing before Judge Brown is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2018 for THEOPHILE and Jan. 3, 2019 for KELSON.
U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser praised the work of the FBI and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office Investigative Service Bureau. Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Knight is in charge of this prosecution.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
