Rusty Ross Honore, 42, of New Iberia, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael J. Juneau to 70 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release on drug trafficking charges. He was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $10,000.
Honore pleaded guilty on July 21, 2021 to a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana and at the guilty plea hearing admitted that he conspired with two other co-conspirators to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana in the Western District of Louisiana.
Law enforcement agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) had information to believe that Honore was distributing cocaine in the Lafayette area and in March 2020, began an investigation into his drug trafficking activities. Through the investigation of law enforcement agents, including the use of surveillance and other investigative techniques, agents found that Honore and his co-conspirators possessed and distributed approximately 207 pounds of marijuana and 2 kilograms of cocaine.
Honore has a previous federal felony conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana from 2006. He was released from prison in 2012 and his period of supervised release ended in 2014.
The DEA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.