John Tickles Jr., a 30-year-old resident of Hammond, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on February 26, 2026, to multiple violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Barry Ashe, according to an announcement by United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
Tickles Jr. admitted guilt to several counts in the superseding indictment against him. Count One charges him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute significant quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. Additional counts involve distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine as well as using a telephone to facilitate these crimes.
On Counts 1 and 2, Tickles Jr. faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in prison, fines up to $10 million, and at least five years of supervised release after serving his sentence. For Counts 2, 5, 8, and 11—relating primarily to distribution offenses—he faces at least five years and up to forty years imprisonment, fines up to $5 million, and no less than four years of supervised release following imprisonment. For the communications-related charges in Counts 3, 6, 9, and 12 he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison per count along with additional fines and periods of supervised release.
Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
Court records indicate that Tickles Jr., together with co-defendants, engaged in distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana. Investigators obtained evidence through wiretapped calls where Tickles Jr. discussed details about his drug operations—including coordination with co-conspirators on pricing strategies and efforts taken to avoid law enforcement detection.
United States Attorney Courcelle commended the collaborative work conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Hammond Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office during this investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne from the Narcotics Unit is prosecuting the case.
