Robert Polk, age 23, was indicted on Feb. 6 for multiple federal drug-trafficking and firearms offenses, according to a March 11 announcement by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
The indictment alleges that Polk possessed tapentadol with intent to distribute and had firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes on two occasions: May 20, 2024, and December 30, 2025. One of the firearms was reportedly stolen. Polk is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions in Arkansas for aggravated assault on a family or household member and terroristic threatening in the first degree.
If convicted, Polk faces significant penalties. Each drug-trafficking count carries up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release. The firearm-related charges carry mandatory minimum sentences of five years each—potentially up to life—which must run consecutively with other sentences. Additional counts for being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition could result in up to 15 years per count, while possession of a stolen firearm carries up to ten years. Each count also includes a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Courcelle said, “the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Orleans Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman from the Violent Crime Unit is prosecuting.
