Two Heflin men have been convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a multi-agency drug investigation centered in Webster Parish.
Jaworski Batton, 41, and Cody Gibson, 40, were found guilty after a trial presided over by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced.
Evidence presented during the trial showed Batton and Gibson conspired with co-defendant Demetric Carey in a drug trafficking operation that was the focus of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The task force targeted suspected narcotics activity in the Webster Parish area.
Agents obtained a court order to intercept communications on Carey’s cell phone. Intercepted messages between Carey and Batton led agents to surveil Batton at a retail store in Bossier City, where he was reportedly en route to collect methamphetamine. Louisiana State Police stopped Batton’s vehicle and found marijuana and methamphetamine in a backpack inside the car.
In a separate incident, intercepted communications between Carey and Gibson revealed plans to meet in Minden for a drug transaction. A Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputy conducted surveillance of the meeting and recorded video evidence of an exchange of money for methamphetamine. Investigators also documented several additional communications over several months in which Carey sold Gibson methamphetamine in distribution-level quantities.
Batton and Gibson each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison, along with a fine of up to $5 million. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15, 2025.
Ten additional defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with the same OCDETF case and are awaiting sentencing. Those individuals are: Demetric Carey, Derrick Carey, Antario Hawk, Eugene Henderson, Damien Rasco, Dana Ray, Holly Reynolds, Corey Russell, Lloyd Smith, and Norell Washington.
The case was investigated by the DEA, Louisiana State Police, and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and William C. Gaskins.