BATON ROUGE – A federal judge sentenced an Independence man convicted in connection with a large-scale cocaine and heroin trafficking network based in East Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes, marking the eighth sentencing for the scheme.

Michael Nelson, 56, was sentenced to nearly 20 years — 235 months — behind bars after he was convicted on conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Nelson was also sentenced to serve five years of supervised release, a news release from U.S. Attorney Kurt Wall said Wednesday.

According to Wall's office, between July 2017 and February 2018, Nelson ran a drug trafficking business, during which he made false statements to law enforcement and threatened a witness. In total, Nelson was found guilty of selling 10 kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of meth. 

Nelson had obtained the drugs from Houston and kept them in stash houses in Baton Rouge and Prairieville. During raids, authorities seized over $500,000 in drug trafficking proceeds from one of Nelson's co-conspirators.

Wall's predecessor previously sentenced the following people in connection with the drug scheme on various charges: 

- Travis James, 42, sentenced to 360 months
- Troy James, 39, sentenced to 115 months
- Joshua Mansion, 38, sentenced to 120 months
- Kim Murphy, 61, sentenced to 168 months
- Yascia LaFrance, 45, sentenced to 90 months
- Cornelius Carter, 36, sentenced to 120 months
- Belinda Carter, 41, sentenced to 19 months