Two Beaumont brothers from a family that police say has been dealing crack from their home for 10 years as well as another Beaumont man were convicted Wednesday of trafficking crack cocaine.
Kristopher George Ardoin, 30, his brother, Kody Dwayne Ardoin, 22, and Zerrick Edward Walker, 32, were all found guilty late Wednesday afternoon of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of crack cocaine according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Kristopher Ardoin was also found guilty of a firearms conspiracy the release said.
Police say that for over a decade the Ardoin family and others openly distributed crack cocaine from their Beaumont home.
The Beaumont Police Department received more than 2,000 calls for service to the Avenue A neighborhood controlled by the Ardoin family in the past 10 years including approximately 139 calls to the Ardoin's crack house itself according to the release.
More than an estimated 280 grams of crack cocaine is believed to have been distributed from the Ardoin home in this time.
Under federal statutes each man could face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison the release said.
Thirteen people were originally included in a four count indictment charging them with federal drug and firearms charges in May 2016 by a federal grand jury according to the release.
The other ten defendants have already pleaded guilty to their crimes.
"This is a great example of federal, state and local law enforcement coming together to make the community a safer place to live,” said Acting U.S Attorney Brit Featherston.
“I appreciate the hard work of the investigators and prosecutors who worked day and night to put this case together," Featherston said.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Beaumont Police Department investigated the case which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lesley A. Woods and Robert L. Rawls.
