Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Contraband in Prison

United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Dervelle T. Barnes, age 37, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 33 months in federal prison following his conviction for possessing contraband in prison.  The Court further sentenced Barnes to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.

According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Barnes was arrested on May 18, 2022, pursuant to a federal arrest warrant at the Russell B. Long Federal Building and United States Courthouse.  No contraband was found during initial searches of his person, and he was transported to the West Baton Rouge Detention Center (“WBRDC”).  The following morning, however, two WBRDC deputies entered Barnes’s dorm-style cellblock due to a smoke odor. A deputy walked by Barnes, who was asleep, and observed a clear plastic bag containing white pills near Barnes’ stomach.  During a search, deputies seized the bag and pills.  The pills were submitted to the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory for testing, and lab personnel determined that the pills contained oxycodone and acetaminophen.  In connection with his plea, Barnes admitted that he knowingly possessed oxycodone while in prison.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Service and West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel.