From: Department of Justice | U.S. Attorney’s Office/Eastern District of Louisiana
Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JADALLAH SAED age 31, of Gretna, was sentenced yesterday after previously pleading guilty to one count of trafficking in counterfeit cigarettes.
U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt sentenced SAED to 22 months imprisonment to be followed by a 2 year term of supervised release. SAED was additionally ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $456,611.04.
According to previously filed court documents, co-defendants JUSTIN BROWN, JOSHUA CARTHON and GARRETT PARTMAN, all local law enforcement officers at the time of the Indictment, were utilized to protect and transport the shipment of contraband cigarettes across state lines. SAED, along with co-defendants ANWAR ABDELMAJID-AHMAD and ATALLA ATALLA, would then distribute and sell the contraband cigarettes in North Carolina and other states where the cigarette taxes are higher than Louisiana, resulting in a total tax loss to the federal and state governments of between $400,000 and $900,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the FBI New Orleans Division and Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey N. Knight and Irene Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution.
