Date: August 19, 2022 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Christopher John Scieneaux, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana, to 140 months in federal prison following his conviction of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The Court further sentenced Scieneaux to 5 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, between November 22, 2019 and January 23, 2020, the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, Gonzales Police Department, and DEA used a confidential informant to conduct three controlled buys of heroin and fentanyl from Scieneaux. During the buys, law enforcement observed Scieneaux driving one of two vehicles, both of which had been registered to his girlfriend. Officers conducted surveillance at the girlfriend's residence and confirmed Scieneaux came and went from the home at all times of the day in both vehicles. On March 13, 2020, a traffic stop was conducted after Scieneaux left said residence, at which time a small amount of narcotics was found in the vehicle, and officers obtained and executed a search warrant at the residence. Officers were able to unlock the residence with a key found in the vehicle driven by Scieneaux. During the search of the residence, officers located approximately 1300 grams of pure methamphetamine, 903 grams of fentanyl, and two scales (one with white residue) inside the master bedroom closet. Scieneaux's Louisiana ID was found on top of the dresser in the master bedroom. Inside the dresser, officers found rolling papers, a marijuana grinder with residue, and four more picture identifications belonging to Scieneaux. Under the mattress in the master bedroom, $3,340 in denominations consistent with the sale of narcotics was also located. The investigation is another effort by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program that was established in 1982 to mount a comprehensive attack against organized drug traffickers. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney General's drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The OCDETF Program operates nationwide and combines the resources and unique expertise of numerous federal, state, and local agencies in a coordinated attack against major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with critical assistance from the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office and Gonzales Police Department, was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief of the Organized and Violent Crime Unit of the United States Attorney's Office.
