Reserve Man Receives Over Two Years for Federal Drug Conviction

NEW ORLEANS—CLIFTON MATTHEW NICHOLSON, age 22, a resident of Reserve, Louisiana, was sentenced to 30 months of incarceration by U.S. District Court Judge Lance M. Africk following a guilty plea to a violation of the Federal Controlled Substances Act involving conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride, announced U.S.Attorney Jim Letten. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Africk ordered that NICHOLSON be placed on three years of supervised release, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violate any terms of his supervised release. NICHOLSON was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.

According to court documents, on or about March 31, 2010, NICHOLSON and JARVIS QUINN JACKSON conspired with co-defendant DERRICK JOHNSON, to retrieve a kilogram of cocaine hydrochloride from a hidden location in Lacombe, Louisiana. Unbeknownst to them, a confidential source had tipped off law enforcement authorities to the plan and both men were arrested shortly after taking possession of the kilogram of cocaine. NICHOLSON pleaded guilty to count one of the two count indictment, which alleged conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine hydrochloride. Jackson and Johnson both pled guilty and were sentenced to 60 months and 70 months respectively.

This matter was investigated by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Violent Crime Unit.