Christopher Don Byerley, a 45-year-old resident of Broussard, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 115 months in federal prison after being convicted on multiple charges related to vehicle theft, firearm trafficking, and identity theft. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson. In addition to the prison term, Byerley will serve three years of supervised release and must pay $127,000 in restitution to victims. The court also ordered the forfeiture of a pistol and silencer involved in the crimes.
According to admissions made during his guilty plea, Byerley worked with Robert Gregory Brazell, Adrienne Marie King, and Dennis Loyd Sizemore between October 2021 and March 2022 in an operation that spanned Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas. The group stole vehicles such as tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck valued at over $250,000.
The operation included tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to hide the origins of stolen property. The conspirators used a chop shop and created false business fronts like “Hevyquip L.L.C.” to sell stolen equipment. They also possessed more than 400 unauthorized identities and access devices to further conceal their activities.
Investigators found that Byerley, who is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms, used another person to purchase a gun illegally. This firearm was later fitted with an unregistered silencer.
In February 2022, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives investigated a shoplifting incident at Juban Crossing Shopping Center that led them to Byerley operating a stolen pickup truck. Inside the vehicle they found an unregistered silencer for a firearm, an FN Model 509 9mm pistol with ammunition; documents detailing orders for silencer parts written by Byerley; text messages and photographs indicating intent to traffic firearms; as well as numerous records and emails revealing details about the conspiracy.
The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General; various parish sheriff’s offices across Louisiana; and Lafayette Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and M. Patricia Jones prosecuted the case. To address firearm trafficking charges specifically tied to this case in Western Louisiana, Thornton served as Special Assistant United States Attorney alongside Assistant United States Attorney John Nickel.
“
