13 prison guards, inmates, others sentenced in ‘large-scale’ drug trafficking conspiracy

A group of 13 individuals, including former corrections officers, inmates, and others, were sentenced this week for their involvement in a “large-scale” drug trafficking conspiracy, the Department of Justice reported.

The individuals admitted to working in concert to traffic cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine between February 2017 and May 2019, according to the department. The group based their operations out of Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, obtaining illegal narcotics from suppliers in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, and Colton, California.

The investigation, conducted by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, found that the drugs were trafficked into the prison through guards and inmates, who then distributed the narcotics to others inside the penitentiary for profit. The individuals, ranging from 33 to 44 years old, received sentences between four to 16 years in prison.

Arthur Basaldua, 44, from Angola, Louisiana, was handed the longest sentence, 192 months, “for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine.” He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Manual Cadena, 44, and Michael Cadena, 33, from Hesperia, California, along with Nelson Tippen, 44, from Angola, Louisiana, received 48 months in prison — the shortest sentence — for similar charges.

All 13 individuals were sentenced to at least three years of supervised release following the conclusion of their prison term.

United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. announced the criminals’ sentencing on Monday following the “extensive federal, state, and local investigation.”

“The sentencing of these 13 defendants is evidence of our commitment to dismantling large-scale criminal conspiracies and drug trafficking networks. With the use of federal, state, and local partnerships we identified individuals from California to Louisiana and were able to hold them accountable for their narcotics distribution through Angola State Penitentiary. The collaborative efforts into OCDETF investigations reduces the availability of illegal narcotics in our communities, and we will continue this approach to fetter out organized crime in our district,” Gathe stated.

Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil said, “The FBI’s goal is to identify and target criminal enterprises and other groups engaged in drug trafficking. Today, justice was served to those who chose to traffic and distribute illicit narcotics in Angola State Penitentiary.”

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