Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Divisions
      • Atlanta
        • Atlanta Leadership
        • Atlanta Contacts
      • Caribbean
        • Caribbean Leadership
        • Caribbean Contacts
      • Chicago
        • Chicago Leadership
        • Chicago Contacts
      • Dallas
        • Dallas Leadership
        • Dallas Contacts
      • Detroit
        • Detroit Leadership
        • Detroit Contacts
      • El Paso
        • El Paso Contacts
      • Headquarters
      • Houston
        • Houston Leadership
        • Houston Contacts
      • Los Angeles
        • Los Angeles Leadership
        • Los Angeles Contacts
      • Louisville
        • Louisville Leadership
        • Louisville Contacts
      • Miami
        • Miami Leadership
        • Miami Contacts
      • New England
        • New England Leadership
        • New England Contacts
      • New Jersey
        • New Jersey Contacts
      • New Orleans
        • New Orleans Leadership
        • New Orleans Contacts
      • New York
        • New York Leadership
        • New York Contacts
      • Omaha
        • Omaha Leadership
        • Omaha Contacts
      • Philadelphia
        • Philadelphia Leadership
        • Philadelphia Contacts
      • Phoenix
        • Phoenix Leadership
        • Phoenix Contacts
      • Rocky Mountain
        • Rocky Mountain Leadership
        • Rocky Mountain Contacts
      • San Diego
        • San Diego Leadership
        • San Diego Contacts
      • San Francisco
        • San Francisco Contacts
      • Seattle
        • Seattle Contacts
      • St. Louis
        • St. Louis Leadership
        • St. Louis Contacts
      • Washington, DC
        • Washington Leadership
        • Washington Contacts
    • DEA Museum
    • Foreign Offices
      • Africa
      • Andean
      • Caribbean
      • Europe
      • Far East
      • Middle East
      • North and Central America
      • Southern Cone
    • Operational Divisions
      • Aviation Division
      • Diversion Control Division
    • Wall of Honor
    • Contact Us
      • Submit a Tip
      • Extortion Scam
      • Congressional and Public Affairs
      • Social Media Directory
  • What We Do
    • Law Enforcement
      • DEA Office of Training
        • Office of Training Programs
      • El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC)
        • Leadership
        • Mission
        • Services
        • Contacts
      • Forensic Sciences
        • Computer Forensics Program
        • Environmental Management
        • Laboratories
      • Intelligence
      • Operations
        • Administrative Law Judges
        • DEA Asset Forfeiture
        • Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program
        • HIDTA
        • OCDETF
        • State and Local Task Forces
    • Education and Prevention
      • DEA’s Family Summit
      • Operation Engage
      • Community Outreach
      • Red Ribbon
        • Kiki and the History of Red Ribbon Week
        • Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community
      • Just Think Twice
      • Campus Drug Prevention
      • Get Smart About Drugs
      • Operation Prevention
    • Drug Information
      • Drug Policy
      • Drug Scheduling
      • The Controlled Substances Act
    • News
      • Alerts
      • Press Releases
      • Most Wanted Fugitives
        • All Fugitives
      • Stories
      • Events
      • Speeches
      • Testimony
    • Campaigns
      • One Pill Can Kill
        • Partner Toolbox
        • Social Media Campaign
      • DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
  • Careers
    • Special Agent
      • Special Agent FAQs
      • Special Agent Job Announcements
    • Diversion Investigator
      • Diversion Investigator Job Announcment
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
      • Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements
      • Intelligence Research Specialists FAQs
      • Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist
    • Forensic Sciences Careers
    • Professional & Administrative Careers
    • Student & Entry Level Careers
    • How to Apply
      • Employment Requirements
      • Equal Opportunity Employer
      • How To Claim Veterans' Preference
      • Priority Consideration
      • Benefits
      • Veterans and People With Disabilities
  • Resources
    • Recovery Resources
    • Data and Statistics
      • Domestic Arrests
      • Staffing and Budget
    • FOIA
      • About FOIA
      • Contact DEA FOIA
      • Make a Request
      • What Happens After Making a Request
      • Requester Categories
      • Fees Charged
      • Fee Waiver
      • FOIA FAQ
      • FOIA Logs and Reports
      • FOIA Library
      • Additional FOIA Links
      • FOIA Exemptions
      • What Are Exclusions?
      • Privacy Act
      • Privacy Act Exemptions
      • Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • Victim Witness Assistance Program
      • Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

  • Search
  • Full Menu

Main Menu

  • Who We Are
  • What We Do
  • Careers
  • Resources
  • Submit A Tip
  • Get Updates
  • Scam Alert
  • English
  • ES

Drug Enforcement Administration

Michael A. Davis Special Agent in Charge
St. Louis
@DEAStLouisDiv
January 29, 2021
Contact: Andree Swanson
Phone Number: (571) 362-5149
For Immediate Release

Mississippi man sentenced to 11 years for cocaine and money laundering conspiracies

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A member of a multi-state drug ring will be spending the rest of the decade behind bars. Lendarious Hayes, 24, of Meridian, Mississippi, has been sentenced to 135 months (11 years and 3 months) in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and money laundering conspiracy.

Hayes, aka “Lil Daddy,” was one of 13 defendants named in a 13-count third superseding indictment returned by an East St. Louis grand jury in October 2019. One year later, he pleaded guilty to the two charges in which he was named.

The charged conspiracy to distribute cocaine took place from 2014 through 2018 and involved the distribution of cocaine between East St. Louis, Illinois; Houston; Memphis, Tennessee; Jackson, Mississippi; and other locations. As part of the conspiracy, Hayes personally distributed at least 32 kilograms of cocaine throughout the country. Other couriers assisted in the distribution of cocaine for the same organization, totaling at least 360 kilograms of cocaine. Hayes was also charged with participating in a money laundering conspiracy, in which he directed the deposit and withdrawal of thousands of dollars of drug proceeds into a co-conspirator’s bank account, in order to disguise the nature of those funds.

The case against Hayes began in February 2019, when an earlier indictment charged him with just one count of participating in the cocaine distribution conspiracy. While out on bond, Hayes subsequently traveled without court permission to Houston, Texas, and later Lafayette, Louisiana, where he was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance in October 2019. Later that month, the money laundering conspiracy charge was added. Hayes was eventually brought back to the district by the U.S. Marshals Service in March 2020 and has been in federal custody since.

Hayes was just one of 13 defendants named in the third superseding indictment. Many of his co-defendants were also charged with distributing “ice,” which is a highly pure form of methamphetamine. Eight co-defendants have already pleaded guilty, with four of them receiving prison sentences of more than 10 years.

When his prison sentence is finished, Hayes will serve a five-year term of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $200 fine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Illinois State Police, and other law enforcement agencies.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

 

Cocaine Methamphetamine
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Locator

  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Domestic Divisions
    • Foreign Offices
    • Contact Us
    • DEA Museum
  • What We Do
    • Drug Prevention
    • Law Enforcement
    • Diversion Control Division
    • News
  • Careers
    • Overview
    • Special Agent
    • Diversion Investigator
    • Intelligence Research Specialist
  • Resources
    • Drug Information
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Equal Opportunity Employer
    • FOIA
    • Publications
    • Media Galleries
    • VWAP
  • Doing Business
    with the DEA
    • Overview
    • Current Vendors
    • Prospective Vendors
    • Security Clauses
    • Security Forms
    • Small Business Program
  • Policies
    • Accessibility, Plug-ins & Policy
    • Legal Policies & Disclaimers
    • No FEAR Act
    • Privacy Policy
    • U.S. Department of Justice EEO Policy
    • USA.gov
    • Whistleblower Protection
Home

United States Drug Enforcement Administration

DEA.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

DEA Contact Center

(202) 307-1000 info@dea.gov
Contact the Webmaster