Ninth Ward Heroin Dealer Sentenced To 10 Years For Heroin Conspiracy
NEW ORLEANS, La. - A New Orleans man was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to participating in a heroin distribution conspiracy in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, announced Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Corey Celestine, age 33, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
A U.S. District Judge sentenced Celestine to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Celestine conspired with Ulyesse Santiago, Clarence Peter Santiago, Dwayne Smother, and others to sell heroin near Bonart Park in New Orleans’ lower Ninth Ward. During the course of this investigation, agents performed several controlled purchases of heroin from Celestine, and he was subsequently arrested with $13,000 in cash. The investigation, led by the DEA, began in 2013 and resulted in the arrest of ten individuals in New Orleans, Terrebonne Parish, Jefferson Parish, and Texas.
Ulyesse Santiago and Clarence Santiago each pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and were sentenced to 78 months and 51 months imprisonment, respectively. Smothers pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and was sentenced to 54 months incarceration.
This case was investigated by the DEA, along with the assistance from the FBI New Orleans Field Office, the New Orleans Police Department, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police.
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.
