United States Drug Enforcement Administration

AMITE, La. — A Ponchatoula man has been sentenced to serve 30 years in prison for the fentanyl overdose death of a 27-year-old Hammond man.

21st Judicial District Attorney Scott Perrilloux and Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division jointly report that on Monday, July 20, Trystan C. McMillion, 28, of Ponchatoula, was sentenced to serve 30 years of hard labor in the Louisiana Department of Corrections following his role in the fatal fentanyl poisoning of a 27-year-old Hammond man.

On January 30, 2024, local law enforcement responded to a call where the victim was found deceased in his apartment. Recognizing the signs of a drug-induced death, local authorities contacted the DEA New Orleans Field Division - Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT) to assist with a detailed homicide investigation.

Through collaborative investigative work, FORT traced the lethal illicit substance directly to McMillion. On August 5, 2024, FORT obtained authorization from the 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office to charge and arrest McMillion for second degree murder.

Following extensive consultations with the victim’s family and with their explicit approval, prosecutors finalized an agreement to allow McMillion to plead guilty to manslaughter, which carries a 30-year sentence at hard labor without option for early leniency. On July 20, 2026, Judge Brenda Ricks handed down the 30-year sentence after hearing from the deceased’s family, who delivered an emotional victim impact statement detailing the devastating toll fentanyl has taken on their family and the local community. The victim’s family expressed deep gratitude to the agents and officers of FORT for their relentless pursuit of the case and for bringing justice to the family.

Perrilloux applauded the work of the FORT Task Force, including representatives from the Hammond Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, who diligently investigated this case. Perrilloux also offered his appreciation to Assistant District Attorney William Macaluso who handled the case for the State.

“We will continue to utilize all of the tools available to stop the illicit distribution of fentanyl, including homicide prosecutions when an overdose results in a death,” Perrilloux said.

“The successful prosecution of this case underscores the vital strength of our multi-agency task forces,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott. “Through the FORT initiative, we break down jurisdictional boundaries to hold drug traffickers accountable at every level. We stand with the victim’s family and remain resolute in our mission to dismantle the networks spreading this poison across Louisiana.”

About the DEA New Orleans Field Division – Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT)

The FORT initiative brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement assets and prosecution offices to investigate fentanyl-related overdose deaths as homicides, aggressively targeting distributors and dismantling drug trafficking operations across Louisiana.