West Monroe and Alexandria Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

MONROE / ALEXANDRIA - Defendants from West Monroe and Alexandria have been sentenced in separate cases involving drug trafficking and firearm offenses.

On July 29, 2026, United States Chief District Judge Terry A. Doughty sentenced Eaan Lee Blake, 24, of West Monroe, to 10 years in federal prison after his conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana. Blake had previously pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents, on February 16, 2025, a Portland, Arkansas, Police Officer attempted to stop a white Chevrolet Trailblazer traveling 55 mph in a 35-mph zone. The driver, later identified as Blake, initially pulled over, but then fled the scene, leading officers on a pursuit from Arkansas into Louisiana. Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office (MPSO) deputies deployed spike strips, stopping the vehicle on U.S. Highway 165 in Bastrop, Louisiana, over 40 miles from the initial stop.

Blake, the sole occupant of the vehicle, admitted that the car was "filled with dope." A search of the vehicle uncovered multiple suitcases containing approximately 75 pounds of methamphetamine and nine pounds of marijuana, along with hydrocodone/acetaminophen tablets, a vacuum sealing machine, hotel receipts from California and Arizona bearing Blake's name, and $713 in U.S. currency.

The Portland Police Department (PPD) and the Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office (MPSO) investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moody with assistance from Legal Assistant Stephanie Stewart.

On August 6, 2026, United States District Judge Jerry Edwards, Jr., sentenced Johnathan Casey Baker, 32, of Alexandria, to over six years in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Baker had also pled guilty to the charge.

According to court documents, on October 3, 2025, the Alexandria Police Department (APD) conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Baker, the sole occupant. Officers observed a Smith & Wesson M&P .22-caliber rifle in plain view inside the vehicle. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators recovered the firearm. Baker, a previously convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) later confirmed the rifle was capable of firing a bullet by the action of an explosive.

APD and ATF investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey N. Stelly with assistance from Legal Assistant Stephanie Stewart.

This case was investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer under Case Numbers 3:25-cr-00065-01 (Eaan Lee Blake) and 1:26-cr-00018-01 (Johnathan Casey Baker).

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