MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that 23-year-old Willie Shanderek Shavon Woodard of Monroe, La. was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy. According to officials, the charges stem from an investigation by law enforcement agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) into suspicious packages being sent through the U.S. Mail to addresses in Monroe.

On October 27, 2022, agents intercepted two suspicious packages that were destined for two residences in Monroe from California. Authorities obtained search warrants or both packages, and agents recovered five one-pound packages in each parcel, which was determined to be a total of 10 pounds of methamphetamine. One of the packages was addressed to a residence in Monroe, which was an abandoned house on Woodard’s mail route. 

In August of 2023, USPIS agents intercepted another package destined for the same abandoned house in Monroe on Woodard’s mail route. A search warrant was obtained for the second package, and inside was approximately 2.2 pounds of marijuana.

According to officials, agents removed the controlled substance and placed the package back into the normal mail stream to the address. On August 28, 2023, agents observed Woodard meet one of his co-defendants and place the same package in the trunk of the vehicle being driven by his co-defendant. Soon after, a traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle, and law enforcement officers found the package in the trunk of the vehicle, as well as a Glock 19 pistol under the driver’s seat. Woodard and his co-defendant were both subsequently arrested.

During the investigation, agents discovered messages between Woodard and other co-defendants notifying them of the address where the suspicious package had been sent in Monroe. In addition, there were numerous messages from Woodard to his co-defendants wherein he provided addresses of houses on his mail route. 

Agents reportedly learned that several packages had been sent from the same address in California to those addresses in Monroe on numerous occasions. Woodard was charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy.