John Allen Whitaker, 49, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Donald E. Walter to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Whitaker was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 18, 2019 and he later pleaded guilty to the charge on November 4, 2020.
The charge stems from a traffic stop conducted by a Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy on August 15, 2019. Whitaker was stopped for a traffic violation and during the stop, deputies found that he possessed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Deputies arrested Whitaker and after a voluntary waiver of his Miranda rights, he admitted that the methamphetamine belonged to him.
The DEA and Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon prosecuted the case.