Press Release
☷Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Federal Prison for Charges Related to Drug Trafficking and Possession of Contraband in Prison
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ( By Press Release office)
May 03,2022
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United States Attorney Ronald C . Gathe , Jr . announced that U . S . District Judge Brian A . Jackson sentenced Reuben Maurice Crawford , age 36 , of Baton Rouge , Louisiana , to 110 months in federal prison following his convictions for unlawful use of communications facilities in furtherance of drug trafficking activities and possession of contraband in prison . The Court further sentenced Crawford to serve one year of supervised release following his term of imprisonment . According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea , Crawford was involved with a drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of controlled substances in the Middle District of Louisiana . On June 7 , 2017 , Crawford and another member of the organization discussed collection of drug trafficking proceeds from other members of the organization . On June 19 , 2017 , Crawford called another member and warned him that he was being surveilled by federal agents . Crawford then instructed the member to meet him at a bar so that he could take him to the federal law enforcement office and show him the vehicles used to conduct surveillance . In June 2021 , on two separate occasions , while housed as an inmate at West Baton Rouge Parish Prison , Crawford possessed cellular telephones , which are prohibited objects in prison under federal law . U . S . Attorney Ronald C . Gathe , Jr . stated , “This sentence demonstrates that we will use all tools at our disposal to bring to justice those who deal drugs in our community . The combined federal , state , and local efforts that culminated in this conviction once again reflect our unified front against crime in this district . I appreciate the tremendous dedication and hard work by the agents and prosecutors who worked tirelessly on this important matter . ” U . S . Marshal Bill Brown stated , “When prisoners in our custody violate the law , we will seek to hold them accountable . ”This investigation is another effort by the OCDETF Program , which was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers . Today , the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General’s drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations , money laundering organizations , and related criminal enterprises . The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal , state , and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations . These matters were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration , the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms , & Explosives , the U . S . Marshals Service , and the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office , and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Kleinpeter and Harley Ferguson .
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