By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A federal grand jury on Friday indicted three LaPlace men on charges of conspiracy to posses and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

Derrick Johnson, 35, Jarvis Quinn Jackson, 50, and Clifton Matthew Nicholson, 23, all of LaPlace, were named in a two-count indictment during a court appearance at U.S. District court in New Orleans. The indictment was the result of a nearly three-month investigation that began in January.

According to court documents, investigators determined that sometime around Jan. 19, Johnson, Jackson and Nicholson conspired with other men not named in the indictment to acquire and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. The release does not indicate the source of the drugs but states the men received the drugs on or around March 31.

The men have not entered a plea in the case, and no court date has been set. If convicted, each faces a possible maximum prison term of 40 years, a maximum fine of $5 million dollars and up to four years of supervised release following imprisonment.

Deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and agents from the FBI participated in the investigation.