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a pickup truck outside his house. The officers motel to dine at a restaurant for a couple hours.
searched the truck and the house, finding $2,325 The pair returned to the motel room in the late
in cash in the vehicle, a video recording system afternoon. At around 6:40 p.m., Leon Jackson,
monitoring the residence, and what turned out to James’s other brother-in-law, arrived. When Leon
be cocaine residue in a mug in the house. Daniels exited the motel, DEA Agent Demond Lockhart
was charged in Orleans Parish Criminal District approached him to perform an investigatory stop.
Court with possession with the intent to distribute Agent Lockhart searched Leon’s bag and vehicle
cocaine. and hit the jackpot: several thousand dollars.

December 2, 2015 Drug Enforcement Agency The Knock-and-Talk
Arrest
After interviewing Leon Jackson, the DEA agents
These December incidents were initially unrelated decided to do a “knock-and-talk,” (when officers
to Daniels’s May arrest—they arose out of the knock on a door, contact the resident, and ask to
DEA’s separate surveillance spearheaded by search the residence). As he approached the room,
Agents Justin Moran and Christopher Johnson. DEA Agent Michael Greaves could smell
Thanks to a confidential tip, the DEA learned that marijuana. Agent Greaves knocked on the door,
James was coming to New Orleans in early and James asked who was there. Greaves initially
December to collect some money. Upon his pretended that he had hit James’s car. James did
arrival, James took a taxi to the Super 8 Motel on not open the door. Greaves then announced that he
Chef Menteur Highway and rented a room. was with the police and asked James to open the
door so they could talk.
James testified that on December 1, 2015, a friend
paid him an evening visit, bringing James a duffle After knocking for two minutes, Greaves heard
bag filled with various drug paraphernalia, Moran, who was standing to his left by the motel-
including a scale and cowboy boots stuffed with a room’s window, say that he could hear the toilet
cutting agent. Daniels came by that evening and flushing. Greaves, inferring that James was
the next morning to “check on” James. Around destroying evidence, decided to kick down the
noon, Daniels left to go to his brother’s salvage door. DEA Agent Kevin Treigle searched the
yard. He returned around 12:34 p.m. Before bathroom, finding Daniels seated on the toilet,
entering the motel, he retrieved from his trunk a fully clothed, with the seat cover down.
long, thin item that he kept under his jacket. The
In the room, the officers found a long roll of
concealed item was a roll of cellophane for
cellophane, a plastic bag filled with cutting agent,
wrapping cash, but the surveilling DEA agents
a black duffle bag with lots of cash, much of
thought it might be a weapon.
which was wrapped in cellophane, a digital scale,
Around 2:00 p.m., James’s brother-in-law, Joppa and crack cocaine. They seized approximately
Jackson (whom the DEA agents recognized from $286,000 and approximately six ounces of crack
previous narcotics investigations), came to the cocaine.
motel in his pickup truck. James left Daniels in the
Daniels was charged with one count of conspiracy
motel room and got into the pickup, which never
to distribute 5 kilograms or more of powder
left the parking lot. After a bit, James got out of
cocaine and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine;
the truck with a bag of money, repayment for
one count of distributing crack cocaine on May 4,
cocaine James had given Joppa.
2015; and one count of possessing with intent to
Eight minutes later, Daniels and James left the distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine on
December 2, 2015.

Sept./Oct. 2019 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • 866-997-8282 35