A Jefferson Parish jury has convicted Long Nguyen, 46, of conspiring to ship more than 50 pounds of marijuana from California to Louisiana.
A Vietnamese speaker who required a translator in court, Nguyen had the marijuana shipped in vacuum-sealed bags, which were tucked inside foil bags and stored in plywood-lined cardboard boxes, the district attorney’s office said. Law officers seized the marijuana and $8,000 cash from apartments, a storage unit and a UPS distribution center in the New Orleans area. A Terrytown couple who mistakenly received seven pounds of marijuana called 911 to report it, prosecutors said.
With the 50 pounds of marijuana displayed before them as evidence, jurors sat through a two-day trial and deliberated 20 minutes before finding Nguyen guilty Tuesday of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, money laundering and providing a false name to a law enforcement officer. Judge Frank Brindisi scheduled sentencing April 11.
Marijuana for recreational purposes is illegal in Louisiana, but medical marijuana laws were recently expanded to make smokable marijuana “flower” available for purchase in state dispensaries, alongside THC-infused liquids, topical applications, inhalers and gummies.
Nguyen’s wife, Bich Nguyen, is already serving two three-year prison sentences for her role in the marijuana distribution. Two other men involved in the conspiracy, Man Danh, 54, of Gretna and Nghia Hoaung of Belle Chasse, pleaded guilty to drug charges and received five-year prison sentences.
https://www.nola.com/news/article_cdcf2df2-a63f-11ec-a4a6-63ad59ca1f73.html
