Eighteenth Judicial District Judge Kevin Kimball sentenced a Pointe Coupee drug dealer to a whopping total of 230 years in prison on Wednesday.
Elie T. Edwards, 46, of 12191 Boudreaux St., New Roads, was found guilty on February 27 of running a large drug operation in the parish, including distributing heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamines, and marijuana, among other charges. Drugs confiscated in the 2022 bust had a street value of over $600,000.
He was sentenced to 40 years for distribution of heroin and 40 years for fentanyl, and 20 years each for the following convictions: possession of a firearm by a felon, distribution of marijauana, distribution of methamphetamines, and distribution of cocaine. He was sentenced to a total of 70 years on the following: conspiracy to distribute marijauana; conspiracy to distribute fentanyl; conspiracy to distribute heroin; conspiracy to distribute methamphetamines; and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
The case was the result of a seven month multi-agency undercover investigation led by Louisiana State Police and the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics divisions in 2022. Over the course of the investigation, agents conducted numerous purchases of drugs from Edwards at various locations. They also conducted surveillance and identified others who were assisting Edwards with the transportation, storage, sale and purchase of large quantities of illegal narcotics.
He was arrested on August 4, 2022 when law enforcement agents conducted multiple search warrants for his residence and other locations, where they found the stolen gun and other guns, along with large quantities of narcotics. They confiscated 18.6 pounds of heroin, 1.2 pounds of cocaine, 1.2 pounds of methamphetamines, 1.2 pounds of fentanyl including fentanyl laced synthetic marijuana, and 4.4 pounds of marijuana. A total of 13 arrests were made at the time of the searches, and several defendants charged with working within the drug ring testified against Edwards during the trial. Edwards is the first to be tried in the case.
District Attorney Tony Clayton said, “If you sell drugs in our communities, you will forfeit your right to walk free with the rest of us. Edwards will spend the rest of his life at hard labor in prison.”
Leading the prosecution for the DA’s Office was Chief of Trials Chad Aguillard and Assistant District Attorneys Lonny Guidroz, Ali Meronek, Kristen Canazaro and Nishant Bhushan.