Orleans Parish Resident Guilty of Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts Violations

NEW ORLEANS, LA - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DIONTAE DORSEY, ("DORSEY"), age 43, of New Orleans, pled guilty on November 7, 2024 to Counts 1, 4, and 8 of an indictment before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier. Sentencing is scheduled for February 27, 2025.

DORSEY was charged in Count 1 with Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, Controlled Substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. At sentencing, he faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release.

DORSEY was charged in Count 4 with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1). At sentencing, he faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment. Any sentence on Count 4 must run consecutive to any other sentence.

DORSEY was charged in Count 8 with maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 856(a) and Title 18 U.S.C. § 2. Count 8 carries up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $500,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release following imprisonment. All three counts also carry a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least May 8, 2024, DORSEY and other individuals, maintained three residences in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans for the purpose of packaging and distributing narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. Several of these individuals furthered this drug trafficking conspiracy by possessing firearms.

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.

United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.