NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)), published as received.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on March 12, 2025, TERENCE WILSON (“WILSON”), age 43, was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment after previously being found guilty of conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of heroin, as well as for  being a felon in possession of firearms.  Following his imprisonment, WILSON will be placed in supervised release for 5 years.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, WILSON and his co-defendant, conspired together, and with others, to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl in New Orleans from August 2022 through October 12, 2022.  During this time, WILSON and the co-defendant engaged, near daily, in multiple hand-to-hand transactions with drug customers in the Hollygrove area.

In September 2022, law enforcement identified a residence in the  3500 block of Encampment Street as a stash house used by WILSON and the co-defendant.  Both WILSON and the co-defendant regularly went to the stash house and  had key access to enter.  Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the stash house and other addresses associated with WILSON and the co-defendant on October 12, 2022.

During the search of the stash house, law enforcement seized over 534 grams of heroin and fentanyl, over 120 grams of fentanyl, and 363 grams of methamphetamine.  Law enforcement also seized a Diamondback, Model DB9, multicaliber pistol, and a Palmetto State Armory, Model PA-X9, multicaliber pistol.  The nearly empty stash house also contained drug paraphernalia, including digital scales with suspected drug residue, a large mechanical press used to compress drugs into kilogram shaped packages for later distribution, and several bags of brown sugar, that is  used a cutting agent.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration - New Orleans Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration Special Response Team, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Response Team, New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Slidell Police Department, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, and the Thibodeaux Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and André Jones of the Narcotics Unit are in charge of the prosecution.