Danette Colbert, 49, was sentenced on Wednesday in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, to life in prison plus 75 years. Judge Nancy Miller of the 24th Judicial District stated during the sentencing that Colbert is a repeat offender.
In September, Colbert was previously sentenced to 60 years in prison: 50 years for racketeering and an additional 10 years for manslaughter. Prosecutors relied on six prior convictions to seek an enhancement of her sentence. Among those six cases were convictions in 2024 in New Orleans for computer fraud and illegal money transfers, for which she was sentenced to 25 years as a repeat offender.
Her criminal record includes convictions for fraud, possession of stolen property, burglary, theft, assault, and witness intimidation, spanning from 2013 to 2019. A fingerprint analysis conducted by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed Colbert’s identity in all six instances. Prosecutors required only three prior convictions to enhance her sentence.
Deputy District Attorney Jenny Voss told the court: “We believe the evidence presented is sufficient” that Colbert is the person convicted in the previous cases. The life sentence will run consecutively to her 50-year sentence for racketeering and the 25-year sentence for the unrelated offences in New Orleans, the Jefferson Parish district attorney’s office stated.
Colbert was part of a long-running operation in which she, her co-conspirator Rickey White, and co-defendant Christian Anderson, who testified against them, targeted unsuspecting tourists in the French Quarter of New Orleans. According to prosecutors, the group lured victims with the promise of sex, then drugged and robbed them. The criminal enterprise dates back to 2012.
One of the victims was Adan Manzano, a journalist for the Spanish-language media outlet Telemundo Kansas City. In February, Manzano had travelled to the New Orleans area to cover the Super Bowl match between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was found dead in his hotel room in Kenner, Louisiana, a few days before the match. The Jefferson Parish coroner’s office stated that Manzano died from positional asphyxia. The autopsy revealed the presence of Xanax and alcohol in his system.
