Press Releases
BATON ROUGE MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT TO DRUG DEALING AND GUN POSSESSION
August 7, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROBERT J. BAPTISTE, age 31, a former New Orleans resident now living in Baton Rouge, pled guilty yesterday before U. S. District Judge Helen G. Berrigan in federal court to three federal drug charges and two federal gun charges, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten today.
According to the factual basis, on July 7, 2007, BAPTISTE was stopped by Plaquemines Parish Deputies for speeding and recovered from the vehicle 108 grams of marijuana, 22 tablets containing “MDMA” or “Ecstacy,” just under 16 grams of powder cocaine and a Glock Model 26, 9mm pistol. In November, 1996, BAPTISTE was previously convicted of attempted burglary of an inhabited dwelling in Orleans Parish, and in October, 1998, he was convicted in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
BAPTISTE, faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years and a fine of $250,000.00 as to the felony gun possession count; five (5) years and a $250,000.00 fine for the marijuana count; and twenty (20) years and a fine of $1 million for the other two drug counts. Additionally, BAPTISTE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and a maximum of life imprisonment because of his use of the firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crimes, which must be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed by the judge. Finally BAPTISTE faces a term of supervised release following imprisonment of at least five (5) years. BAPTISTE’s sentencing for November 12, 2008.
The case was investigated by Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office, agents for the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney, Tony Gordon Sanders, pursuant Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative to prosecute serious drug and gun crimes.
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