7 Louisiana residents sentenced after meth ring started from federal prison busted

Seven defendants have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a meth ring born out of a Mississippi federal prison that operated out of Natchitoches and throughout Central Louisiana.

The investigation began with information received by the Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force that a group was selling large amounts of meth in their area.

That led investigators to an inmate at the Yazoo City Medium Federal Prison, 51-year-old James Christopher Weeks of Montgomery in Grant Parish, reads a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana.

Weeks was serving a 16-year sentence on a drug conspiracy conviction and, through another inmate, had been connected to someone who could supply him with meth, it reads.

Weeks used Facebook Messenger to chat with his daughter, 31-year-old Savannah Maria Weeks of Arcadia in Bienville Parish, as well as with Adam James Johnson, 41, of Natchitoches, and others about trafficking meth.

On March 3, 2020, a Pineville man already on probation in Louisiana was arrested on a drug charge out of Oklahoma. When officers went to Eric Joseph Sandifer's home, the 36-year-old man told them meth was inside a vehicle in the yard that he'd been using for several weeks.

After getting a warrant to search, officers found about 127 grams of meth and paraphernalia.

"Sandifer also had messages on his cellphone in which he was communicating with Johnson regarding methamphetamine trafficking in Natchitoches," it reads.

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Later that month, a package in San Bernardino, California, that was addressed to Savannah Weeks' home was intercepted after a K-9 alerted to it. It contained 6 pounds of meth.

James Weeks eventually told investigators he had introduced his meth source to Johnson, who had bought meth from the source several times, reads the release.

Surveillance was started on Johnson's Natchitoches home, and investigators saw Ashley Danielle Dowden, 39, arrive. She and Dowden soon left in separate vehicles.

They were stopped for traffic violations, according to the release, and Dowden was found in possession of drugs.

"A search warrant was also later executed at Johnson’s residence which resulted in the discovery of approximately 3,720 grams of methamphetamine in the attic of Johnson’s home," it reads. "Dowden hid two large bags containing the suspected methamphetamine in the attic at the direction of Johnson and also took trips to Dallas with him to retrieve the methamphetamine in exchange for large amounts of cash."

As part of the investigation, agents did surveillance at a Motel 6 in Natchitoches and the Best Western in Alexandria.

On April 16, 2020, they saw Louis V. Jackson, 39, of Natchitoches, pull into the Motel 6 parking lot and later leave. Search warrants for several rooms found 34 Tramadol pills, several weapons and pieces of paper with the name of Alexandria resident Candiace Shree Bronson, 39.

Then, on May 13, 2020, agents watched as Savannah Weeks and a man went into a room at the Best Western. She was pulled over after she left, and investigators found about 132 grams of meth, reads the release.

Because of that find, investigators got a search warrant for the Best Western room. Bronson and Jackson were found there, along with Bronson's purse, approximately 498 grams of meth about $11,300 in cash. Both were arrested.

A nine-count indictment against the seven was issued in June 2021. In addition to the drug charges, it alleged that three of the defendants possessed weapons and were felons.

Six of the seven took guilty pleas, but Jackson elected to go to trial. He was found guilty by a jury in April of conspiracy to distribute meth, being a felon in possession of firearms and possession of meth with intent to distribute.

Jackson was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee Drell to 30 years in prison and 10 years of supervised probation.

The remaining defendants and their sentences are:

• James Weeks, 20 years in prison and 10 years supervised probation.

• Savannah Weeks, six-and-a-half years in prison and five years supervised probation.

• Eric Sandifer, 10 years in prison and five years of supervised probation.

• Ashley Dowden, eight years in prison and five years of supervised probation.

• Candiace Bronson, six-and-a-half years in prison and five years of supervised probation.

• Louis Jackson, 30 years in prison and 10 years of supervised probation.

• Adam Johnson, 19 years and seven months in prison and five years supervised probation.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: 7 Louisiana residents sent to federal prison after meth ring busted