Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced the sentencing of Brandon James Willridge, a 41-year-old resident of Jennings, Louisiana. Willridge received an 84-month prison sentence from United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays, followed by five years of supervised release for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In January 2023, law enforcement officers who were familiar with Willridge's drug trafficking activities had an active arrest warrant for him. On January 30, 2023, officers from the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office and Gueydan Police Department stopped Willridge's vehicle due to the warrant.
During the traffic stop, officers discovered a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun under the driver's seat. They also found several orange pills identified as Alprazolam, a controlled substance, in the driver door console. Evidence suggested that Willridge was involved in narcotics trafficking in the Gueydan and Lake Arthur areas during this period. He pleaded guilty on October 18, 2024, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Willridge has prior felony convictions from 2003 and 2010 related to false representation of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with local law enforcement agencies and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Myers P. Namie.