A Tangipahoa Parish man, Dequarius Hamler, 38, has pleaded guilty to all six counts of a superseding indictment involving drug trafficking, money laundering conspiracy, and fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry on August 19, 2025. Sentencing is set for December 9, 2025.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Hamler in 2022 for suspected drug trafficking activities. In three separate incidents in 2023, Hamler sold cocaine and over 50 grams of methamphetamine to an individual he believed was a legitimate buyer.
Authorities also allege that Hamler used his girlfriend, Latijeria Martin, to deposit proceeds from illegal drug sales into local bank accounts in an effort to launder the funds. Records show that between January 1, 2021 and September 9, 2023, Martin and Hamler deposited $454,589.10 through seven different accounts—$328,159.10 under Martin’s name and $126,430 under Hamler’s name. Bank employees reported frequent cash deposits by Martin that sometimes had a strong odor of marijuana. She was warned by bank staff that her actions constituted criminal structuring and money laundering but continued making deposits at Hamler’s direction.
When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hamler’s residence they found large quantities of illegal narcotics as well as financial documents tied to these activities. During questioning, Hamler admitted distributing kilogram amounts of cocaine and marijuana over the past decade.
Investigators further determined that during the Covid-19 pandemic Hamler submitted fraudulent IRS records to obtain more than $19,000 in Paycheck Protection Program funds from the Small Business Administration for a business that did not exist; none of these funds were used for legitimate business expenses.
Hamler faces up to forty years imprisonment on Count 1 (conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana), with mandatory minimums depending on specific charges; up to twenty years each on Counts 2 and 4 (distribution of cocaine); ten years minimum up to life for Count 3 (distribution of methamphetamine); five years maximum for Count 5 (making false statements); and twenty years maximum for Count 6 (money laundering conspiracy). Each count carries additional fines and supervised release requirements.
“This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with prosecution led by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot from the Narcotics Unit.
