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 – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today that a federal grand jury indicted KENYA PATTERSON, (“PATTERSON”), age 34, of Houma, Louisiana, for:

         Count 1-Possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of a mixture of a         substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States      Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B)(vi);

         Count 2-Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of        Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and

         Count 3- Felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code,      Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

According to the indictment, on or about June 4, 2025, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, PATTERSON, possessed with intent to distribute over forty (40) grams of fentanyl.  PATTERSON possessed the firearm in furtherance of the crime alleged in Count 1. Finally, PATTERSON possessed the firearm knowing that he had been previously convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

PATTERSON faces the following penalties if convicted:

            Count 1:          a minimum of five (5) years imprisonment up to a maximum of forty (40)                                             years imprisonment; a fine of up to $5,000,000, at least four (4) years of                                              supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee;

            Count 2:          a minimum of five (5) years imprisonment up to life imprisonment to be                                         served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, a fine of up to                                     $250,000, up to five (5) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100                             special assessment fee; and

            Count 3:          up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three                               (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment                                          fee.

U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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