United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEW ORLEANS - Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam and U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced the unsealing of a criminal complaint against Shannon Christopher Ceasar, 43, a physician who practices in Metairie and resides in New Orleans. 

On Friday, July 22, 2016, Ceasar was arrested on charges of drug distribution and threatening to murder law enforcement agents.  According to court records, Ceasar illegally dispensed and conspired with others to illegally dispense controlled substances, including Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance.  In addition, based on recorded telephone calls secured by law enforcement, Ceasar was charged with threatening to assault and/or murder federal law enforcement officers with the intent to impede, intimidate, or interfere with such law enforcement officers while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with the intent to retaliate against such law enforcement on account of the performance of official duties. 

Some of the threats made against law enforcement officers and the medical board include:

“God help them, I swear to god…I have a f*$&ing arsenal in there enough to supply a small militia, you know I collect guns, I swear to god if they come in there with a warrant I’m going to kill every single one of those sons of bi*ches.”

“I am very serious…they won’t even be able to have an open casket funeral.  There will be nothing left above the adam’s apple.”

“And I’m not sure if the time comes if I’m going to do it right there in the clinic or if I’m going to somehow break into the DEA office in that building by the lake and just f*$&ing blow the place up but somehow a vast majority of the DEA agents in this area will lose their lives if they f*$& with me.”

“Same thing goes for the medical board, that’ll be even sweeter…they are downtown.”

“…New Orleans will be all over the national news again because of me.”

“What I’ll do is make Baton Rouge look like a f*$&ing kindergarten.”

Ceasar made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Court Judge on Friday, July 22.  At a detention hearing held today before a U.S. Magistrate Court Judge, Ceasar was ordered detained.

“As alleged, rather than doing no harm as a physician, Shannon Ceasar illegally dispensed Oxycodone into a community struggling with an epidemic of opioid addiction,” stated U.S. Attorney Polite.  “Then, when the governing medical board and law enforcement dared to challenge his criminality, Ceasar threatened to kill them.  This level of disregard for human life, particular from a physician, is absolutely despicable.”

If convicted of the charges in the criminal complaint, Ceasar will face a maximum of not more than 20 years in prison on the drug charges and not more than 10 years in prison for threatening to murder a federal agent.  Ceasar will also be subject to a fine of not more than $250,000 and a term of supervised release for three years, following any term of imprisonment.

This case was worked by the DEA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OIG. 

Parents and children are encouraged to educate themselves about the dangers of drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.JustThinkTwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.