NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that two LaPlace men were recently sentenced for drug charges in federal court.

Garrett Stephens, 36, of LaPlace, was sentenced Nov. 13 for one count of conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Stephens pleaded guilty on April 3 to the above-described offenses.

Judge Martin L.C. Feldman sentenced Stephens to a total of 211 months of imprisonment followed by four years of supervised release.

Edwin Watson, 37, of LaPlace, was sentenced on Nov. 14 for one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Watson pleaded guilty on Feb. 21 to the above-described offenses.

Judge Barry W. Ashe sentenced Watson to a total of 120 months of imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating these matters. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan L. Shih and Nicholas D. Moses are in charge of the prosecution of both cases.

These cases are part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement.