A New Orleans man faces significant federal charges following a recent indictment that includes drug trafficking and weapons offenses. Darnell Doucet, 26, was charged in a four-count indictment dated on Thursday. The charges come as part of the ongoing efforts to combat drug offenses coupled with illegal firearm possession, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Doucet is alleged to quickly have amassed a collection of controlled substances, including cocaine, tapentadol, and marijuana, alongside a notable cache of weaponry. The indictment handed down by a federal grand jury states he violated the Federal Controlled Substances Act and the Gun Control Act, with intentions that reach beyond mere personal use—hinting at the broader tapestry of drug distribution webs in which many find themselves entangled. Specifically, Doucet is looking at up to 20 years in prison for each of the drug trafficking charges (Counts 1 and 2), while possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Count 3), carries a minimum sentence of five years, to possibly life imprisonment, according to the details made public in the U.S. Attorney's Office release.
As outlined in the indictment, on September 24, Doucet was found in possession of the narcotics along with four firearms, including a 7.62 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a nine-millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol. These items are alleged to have been held in conjunction with the drug trafficking operation, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
U.S. Attorney Evans' statement emphasized that the charges are simply allegations, and Doucet's guilt is something that must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is additionally a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive initiative to aggressively reduce violent crime. PSN operates on the principle that fostering trust and legitimacy, especially within communities bearing the brunt of such crime, is paramount. The FBI and the New Orleans Police Department conducted the joint investigation leading to this indictment, with Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit spearheading the prosecution efforts, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The Treasury Department is also looking to seek financial penalties against Doucet, with each count potentially imposing up to a $1,000,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The implementation of such fines often aims to dismantle the financial infrastructure that undergirds illicit narcotics operations. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100 is also tacked onto each count, signaling the deep financial repercussions that accompany charges of this magnitude.
