Duane A. Evans, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
United States Attorney Duane A. Evans has announced the indictment of Rickey Smith, a 46-year-old resident of New Orleans, on charges related to the distribution of fentanyl. The indictment was issued on January 30, 2025, for distributing forty grams or more of the substance, in violation of federal law.
Court records indicate that Smith intended to distribute this quantity of fentanyl within the Eastern District of Louisiana around December 17, 2024. If convicted, Smith could face a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of forty years. Additionally, he may be fined up to $5 million and required to serve at least four years under supervised release after any prison term. There is also a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans emphasized that "the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in collaboration with the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman from the Narcotics Unit is prosecuting the case.
