A resident of St. Bernard Parish, Abe Jyles, age 44, has been sentenced on federal gun and drug charges after pleading guilty earlier this year. On February 4, 2025, Jyles admitted to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter sentenced Jyles on May 27, 2025, to 130 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
Jyles' previous term of federal supervised release from a 2006 drug trafficking conviction was revoked by United States District Judge Jay Zainey due to the new offenses. Judge Zainey sentenced him to an additional 27 months in prison to be served consecutively.
The case began with a traffic stop on February 29, 2024, conducted by the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office. Officers detected the smell of marijuana from Jyles' vehicle during the stop. A subsequent search revealed illegal narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021.
The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu Jr., from the Narcotics Unit, led the prosecution.
