West Monroe man gets 20-year sentence for drug trafficking

WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Paul Anthony Lewis, 50, of West Monroe, was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for numerous drug trafficking charges.

A jury convicted Lewis in February of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base and fentanyl as well as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base and fentanyl.

Evidence introduced in the trial revealed agents with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Metro Narcotics Unit of Ouachita Parish began investigating Lewis for suspected drug trafficking activities. Agents observed packages delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to his address. When searching the house, law enforcement found large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base and promethazine inside. Lewis also used his phone to negotiate drug trafficking transactions with co-conspirators in Texas and the Western District of Louisiana that have yet to be indicted.

Lews is previously sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2001 for possession with intent to distribute in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

U.S. Attorney Brandon Br. Brown says, “The choices of this defendant to continue to possess and distribute a buffet of illegal substances, even after having spent time in federal prison before, has resulted in him now spending the later years of his life behind bars. We continue to stand by our commitment to make it a priority in the Western District of Louisiana to have zero tolerance for those who choose to sell narcotics, especially the most dangerous narcotic of all, fentanyl.”

The case was investigated by the DEA, Metro Narcotics Unit of Ouachita Parish, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Gaskins and Alexander C. Van Hook, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney.