Jon Verdin, a 29-year-old resident of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, was sentenced on May 14, 2025, by United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance. Verdin had previously pleaded guilty to charges including possession with intent to distribute over a kilogram of fentanyl and possession of firearms as a felon. He also faced charges related to money laundering.
Verdin received a sentence of 200 months in prison for the fentanyl charge, followed by five years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For the charges involving firearms possession and engaging in monetary transactions derived from unlawful activities, he was sentenced to 120 months in prison with three years of supervised release and another $100 special assessment fee for each count. All sentences will run concurrently.
Court records reveal that law enforcement executed a search warrant at Verdin's home on February 2, 2022, recovering over a kilogram of fentanyl and four firearms. Verdin admitted his intent to distribute the fentanyl and acknowledged possessing the firearms despite prior felony convictions prohibiting such possession.
The investigation also uncovered that on March 20, 2021, Verdin used proceeds from a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to purchase a Lincoln MKZ for $28,000, constituting an act of money laundering.
This case is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which aims to combat drug trafficking through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. It is also linked to Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which focuses on reducing violent crime and gun violence while fostering trust within communities.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration and several parish sheriff's offices across Louisiana. Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman handled the prosecution.
