Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that BURNELL ALLEN, age 35, and SONNY ALLEN, age 32, both of New Orleans, were sentenced today after being convicted by a federal jury.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr. sentenced BURNELL ALLEN to life imprisonment for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base “crack.”  SONNY ALLEN was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment for being a member of that crack conspiracy and four 120 concurrent sentences for distributing crack.

Evidence was presented at trial that the defendants grew up in and around the former Melpomene Housing Development, engaged in high volume street level drug dealing over the course of several years.  The majority of this activity took place near an older relative’s home. 

“As we did in the prosecution of the Allen gang, our Office will continue to pursue the harshest penalties possible against those who terrorize our communities through violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Polite.

ATF Special Agent in Charge Constance Hester stated, “The Citizens of New Orleans, in particular Central City, can be assured that ATF will continue to utilize all available resources to pursue the most violent offenders who use firearms to conduct criminal activity.” 

U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of the metro area’s Multi-Agency Gang Unit (MAG) in investigating this matter.  As an integral component of NOLA FOR LIFE’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, the

MAG Unit consists of a partnership with New Orleans Police Department (NOPD); Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office (DA); Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO); Louisiana State Police (LSP); Parole Board of the Louisiana Department of Corrections; United States Attorney’s Office (USAO); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); United States Marshal’s Service (USMS); and the United States Probation & Parole Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Toomey and Andre Lagarde were in charge of the prosecution.

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