Shreveport Reporter

United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown has announced the sentencing of Sarah Rose Cea, a 34-year-old resident of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Cea received a 15-year prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release for drug trafficking charges. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge David C. Joseph.

Cea's arrest occurred on June 8, 2023, when she was stopped by Louisiana State Police troopers while traveling on Interstate 10 near Lafayette, Louisiana. At the time of the traffic stop, Cea was alone in her vehicle. A K-9 unit from the Louisiana State Police conducted an open-air sniff and indicated the presence of narcotics in her car. Upon searching the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in the trunk.

The seized substance underwent testing at a criminalistics laboratory and was confirmed to be around 19,943 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride with complete purity.

During her guilty plea hearing on July 31, 2024, Cea admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with plans to distribute it.

The investigation into this case was carried out by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney John W. Nickel prosecuted the case.