Fresh from a drug conviction last year, a disgraced Louisiana sheriff’s deputy made his initial appearance in federal court via video conference Thursday morning, records show.
Johnny Jacob Domingue II, 31, faces one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute after he was arrested Wednesday evening during a planned undercover sting, according to the criminal complaint filed against him.
The complaint details the ex-DEA task force officer’s arrest, beginning with Domingue meeting a confidential informant while he was in federal prison serving a 21-month prison sentence related to his March 2019 drug conviction. Domingue had also earned time served during the case.
According to the complaint, Domingue contacted someone in August who he met while in federal prison. Unbeknownst to Domingue, the man was a confidential informant for the Department of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
“The CI and Domingue met while both were in federal custody at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Houston,” the document stated. “Once Domingue and the CI were released from prison, Domingue contacted the CI to assist him in finding a source of cocaine because Domingue had several potential buyers of the cocaine in Houston, Texas as well as in Louisiana.”
The agreement between the ex-law enforcement officer and the undercover CI was for Domingue to deliver 4 kilograms of cocaine to the CI’s people in Houston, and for Domingue to deliver an additional 4 kilograms to his buyers.
On Wednesday evening, HSI agents placed 8 kilograms of what was believed to be cocaine in the hidden compartment of a vehicle that was stationed in the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Edinburg.
“HSI agents took a photograph of the bundles inside the compartment of the vehicle and the CI sent the photograph to Domingue via his cellphone,” the complaint states. “The undercover agent told the CI to let Domingue know that the vehicle that contained the cocaine was parked at the Academy Sports and Outdoors located on Trenton Road in Edinburg, Texas,” the document states.
Domingue entered the vehicle, but because HSI agents had installed a “kill switch” on the vehicle, he was unable to drive away and leave the area.
Subsequently, agents approached Domingue and arrested him, the complaint states.
According to reports surrounding his arrest on drug charges, Domingue was a crucial witness for federal prosecutors in the case against ex-DEA agent Chad Scott, who ran a task force squad that Domingue was assigned to during his time as a Louisiana sheriff’s deputy.
If convicted of the drug charges, Domingue faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
