New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Distribution

NEW ORLEANS — Blake Anthony Bachemin pleaded guilty May 7 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(C).

U.S. District Judge Barry Ashe scheduled Bachemin’s sentencing for August 6 2026. At sentencing Bachemin faces up to 20 years in prison followed by at least three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and a mandatory $100 special assessment, per the plea announced by U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The scope of the offense centers on a single defendant in Orleans Parish. Federal law under § 841(b)(1)(C) applies when the quantity of methamphetamine is less than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine or less than 500 grams of a mixture, carrying the 20-year statutory maximum. The plea resolves the government’s case against Bachemin without trial.

The guilty plea changes the case status from pending trial to post-conviction. Sentencing will occur on August 6 2026. Upon sentencing the Bureau of Prisons will assume custody if incarceration is imposed, the U.S. Probation Office will begin supervising any term of supervised release, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will collect the special assessment immediately.

Downstream the conviction requires the U.S. Probation Office to prepare a presentence investigation report before August 6. Judge Ashe must consider federal sentencing guidelines that account for drug quantity, criminal history and acceptance of responsibility.

The plea also triggers automatic loss of certain federal benefits during incarceration and supervised release. If Bachemin receives a prison sentence the Federal Bureau of Prisons will designate a facility, after which he may pursue any appeal within 14 days of final judgment.

This case is one of multiple methamphetamine prosecutions handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana in 2026. The statute cited, 21 U.S.C. § 841, has remained the primary charging vehicle for federal drug-distribution cases since the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. The Department of Justice press release lists no connection to a larger enforcement initiative.

Primary sources: U.S. Department of Justice