Fire Station 18 Grand Opening Ceremony

DATE: Saturday, September 10, 2016
TIME: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location: 61735 Airport Rd., Slidell, LA 70460 (Corner of Airport Rd. and Meadows Blvd.)

Program

• Welcome: Chief of Administration/PIO Chad Duffaut

• Invocation: Fire District #1 Chaplain Pastor Larry McEwen

• Remarks:

Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann
City of Slidell Mayor Freddie Brennan
St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister
St. Tammany Parish Councilman Steve Stefancik
Louisiana State Senator Sharon Hewitt

• Ribbon Cutting

• Closing Remarks: Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann

• Refreshments and Self-Guided Tour

For more information about St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 visit us at www.slidellfire.org or follow us on Facebook – St. Tammany Fire District #1 and Twitter – @SlidellFire_PIO

Chad Duffaut
Chief of Administration/PIO
cduffaut@slidellfire.org
Cell: (985) 960-0976

The post Fire Station 18 Grand Opening Ceremony – Saturday, Sept. 10th appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 13, 2016

COVINGTON—Raymond F. Reno, 45, of Madisonville, pleaded guilty Monday (Sept. 12) to sexual battery of a victim under 13 and 56 counts of child pornography of victims under age 13. District Judge Peter Garcia sentenced Reno to 25 years in prison on the sexual battery charge and 10 years on the child pornography charges with the sentences to run concurrently.

The crime was discovered in August 2014, when a mother read in her then 6-year-old daughter’s diary that Reno had touched the child’s private parts with his hands. The mother questioned the girl and learned that Reno had touched the child inappropriately numerous times. The mother called the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, which brought in the Children’s Advocacy Center. The victim revealed in those interviews that Reno had touched her on top of her clothes and on her skin and that he also may have taken a picture of her private parts.

During Reno’s arrest, Sheriff’s deputies used a search warrant to seize a variety of undeveloped film, SD cards, and a camera computer, all of which led to the 56 pornography charges.

The victim’s mother, who attended Reno’s hearing Monday, told the court that she thought the sentences were a good outcome. Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Authement handled the case.

The post Madisonville Man Gets 25 Years for Sexual Battery of Child appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 15, 2016

Collin Sims, Criminal Division Chief under District Attorney Warren Montgomery, received the 2016 FBI Directors Award Thursday (Sept. 15) in Washington, D.C., for his work as part of a team that investigated and prosecuted the violent Harvey Hustlers street gang in Jefferson Parish. Sims’ work on the case as an Assistant U.S. Attorney was among his final assignments before joining the Montgomery administration last year.

FBI Director James Comey presented the annual award, which is considered one of the most prestigious honors within the agency. Others who received it included FBI agents and employees, task force members from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, as well as prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Eastern District of Louisiana) and the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office.

The work of the task force and prosecutors over several years dismantled the Harvey Hustlers street gang and several of its spin-offs, resulting in the federal and state convictions of 65 people of a variety of drug and violent crimes, including murder in aid of racketeering and homicide. The sentences ranged from five years to life imprisonment. The murder rate in Jefferson Parish dropped 39 percent from the start of the investigation in 2009 through 2015, according to the FBI.

Eventually, 22 defendants were charged in a racketeering conspiracy that involved a drug operation.

The investigators and prosecutors also were recognized in February by the Metropolitan Crime Commission with the Excellence in Law Enforcement Award.

The post District Attorney’s Criminal Division Chief Receives Top FBI Award appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 19, 2016

Mandeville Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Second-Degree Battery

COVINGTON—A St. Tammany Parish jury convicted Hardy Cornwell, 48, of Mandeville, of aggravated second-degree battery and attempted false imprisonment Thursday (Sept. 15) for severely beating his ex-girlfriend and restraining her with duct tape earlier this year on his boat at Marina Beau Chene. He faces up to 30 years in prison if he is charged as a multiple offender when he goes before District Judge Scott Gardner for sentencing on Sept. 26.

The crime was discovered March 8, after the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office received a report that the victim may be in danger and sent detectives to Cornwell’s boat to check on her. Cornwell initially refused to respond to the detectives’ knock on the side of the boat. But when the officer saw Cornwell through an open window, Cornwell complied and opened the hatch.

During questioning, Cornwell initially denied that the victim was in the boat. But officers heard a female voice crying out for help from inside. An officer entered the cabin, where he found the victim with a bruised and bloody face and duct tape stuck to her hair. She also had a fresh head wound, which later required eight surgical staples at the hospital.

The victim told officers that she had come to her ex-boyfriend’s boat the previous night, and that at one point the ex-boyfriend became enraged and attacked her. She told police that he held a knife to her neck and threatened to kill her, put duct tape around her head, covering her eyes and mouth, bound her wrists, beat her, and stabbed her in the hand with a filet knife.

The jury rejected Cornwell’s claims that he was not the one who inflicted her injuries and that he bound her because they sometimes engaged in unusual sexual behavior. But the jury reduced the false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon charge to attempted false imprisonment, which is a misdemeanor.

Assistant District Attorneys Casey Dieck and Jerry Smith prosecuted the case.

Cornwell has at least one prior conviction for manslaughter in Oklahoma in 2002, for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was released after serving about nine years.

The post Mandeville Man Found Guilty of Aggravated Second-Degree Battery appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 19, 2016

Bogalusa Man Interrupts Attempted Murder Trial to Plead Guilty

FRANKLINTON—Marcus Bullock, 31, of Bogalusa, pleaded guilty Thursday (Sept. 15) to two counts of attempted murder and one count of being a felon with a firearm for shooting a man over car repairs. Bullock’s trial was nearly complete when he decided to plead guilty.

If he is sentenced as a multiple offender in a hearing Sept. 27, he will receive 33 years and four months in prison without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

Bullock was arrested March 31, 2015, after pushing his way into the victim’s home to discuss a repair involving his ex-girlfriend’s car. Bullock demanded $60 for a part, but the victim declined to pay. The victim told Bullock that he would discuss the matter with the girlfriend the next day, but Bullock responded that “tomorrow’s not gonna get here.”

Bullock then pulled out a revolver and struck the victim in the face. Bullock pointed the gun at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger twice, but the gun did not fire. When Bullock pulled the trigger a third time, the gun discharged a bullet, which struck the victim’s cheek, traveled under the skin and exited the back of his head.

The victim and his fiancé fled, while Bullock also fired at the victim’s fiancé. The victims were present at the hearing and agreed to the plea.

The post Bogalusa Man Interrupts Attempted Murder Trial to Plead Guilty appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

DA Warren Montgomery had the pleasure of being a guest on the Lake 94.7 on September 15, 2016. He talked about staff, some of the cases they are working on, and the dangers of drugs in our community. Click on this link to access the audio link.

The post Warren Montgomery speaks on the Lake 94.7 appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

I appreciate the time, effort, and commitment the judge gave to this case. It was important to me that my obligations under the law to serve as the legal adviser to parish government be clarified by the court. My conscience is clear that I did the right thing in filing this lawsuit, based on our interpretation of the law and the vote of the people rejecting Proposition 5 in November of 2015. In the coming days, I will analyze the judge’s ruling and make the appropriate decisions.

Please see the copy of the ruling by Ad Hoc Judge Marion F. Edwards of the 22nd Judicial District.

The post District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s Statement on Civil Suit Ruling appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 21, 2016

COVINGTON—Rhamad R. Jackson, 27, of Slidell, pleaded guilty Monday (Sept. 19) to two counts of manslaughter and one count of burglary of an inhabited dwelling for shooting two men and burglarizing the home of one of them nearly six years ago.

District Judge Reginald Badeaux sentenced Jackson to 20 years in prison without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence on each of the manslaughter charges and 10 years on the burglary charge. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

The shootings took place Dec. 9, 2010, when the victims, Adrian Thicklin and Olajuwon Johnson, were driving in Jackson’s neighborhood. About a month earlier, Thicklin’s home had been burglarized of video gaming equipment, and Thicklin suspected that Jackson was the culprit. Jackson later told police that he had heard Thicklin was looking for him.

Jackson said he was walking to a friend’s house on the night of the shootings, when he heard someone call to him from a car. When Jackson responded, he saw Thicklin pull out a handgun. Jackson then pulled out his own gun and fired, killing both men. Thicklin was found with eight gunshot wounds in the driver’s seat of a blue Lincoln Town car, and a gun was found next to him. Johnson was found with multiple gunshots a short distance from the car in a front yard. Police also found cocaine and marijuana in Thicklin’s vehicle.

Though witnesses heard the gunshots and saw Jackson running from the scene, there were no independent witnesses to the shooting. Jackson later turned himself in, surrendered his weapon and stated that he shot Thicklin and Johnson in self-defense. Property matching the description of Thicklin’s property was found in Jackson’s car.

Jackson was scheduled to go to trial Monday, when he entered the plea agreement. Assistant District Attorneys Blair Alford and Darrell Sims prosecuted the case.

The post Slidell Man Pleads Guilty to Double Shooting in 2010 appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

09/22/2016 District Attorney Warren Montgomery was a guest on Ringside Politics with Jeff Crouere this morning.

Please listen below at 136.06.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 26, 2016

COVINGTON—Christopher Cote, 33, of Covington, pleaded guilty Thursday (Sept. 22) to 79 counts of child pornography, which was discovered during an undercover investigation last year. District Judge Peter J. Garcia sentenced Cote to 18 years in prison without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

The case began with an investigation by the multi-agency Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in which an undercover officer identified Cote online as a potential child predator and engaged in chat room conversations with him about a year. Task force agents, representing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Louisiana Attorney General’s Office (now the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation), then went to the defendant’s residence in April 2015. When Cote consented to allow the agents to look at his computer, they found a suspicious file and seized the laptop for further forensic examination. During the analysis, agents discovered 79 pornographic images of children, ranging in ages from toddler to 7 years old.

Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Authement prosecuted the case.

The post Covington Man Pleads Guilty to 79 Counts of Child Pornography appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 26, 2016

COVINGTON— District Judge Scott Gardner sentenced Alvin Davis, 57, of Slidell, as an habitual offender to life in prison Monday (Sept. 26) for raping a 21-year-old woman who was part of a traveling carnival in 2014. A St. Tammany Parish jury found Davis guilty of forcible rape in June.

In a hearing before the sentencing, Davis admitted that his criminal history dates back to 1974. His record includes 13 prior felony convictions and one misdemeanor conviction. Assistant District Attorneys Jason Cuccia and Jerry Smith prosecuted the case, which had been dismissed earlier when the victim, who was living in the New England region, failed to appear for a hearing. District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s prosecutors filed new charges and continued to pursue the case.
“The victim was understandably reluctant to return to the state of Louisiana,” Montgomery said after the guilty verdict. “I’m very proud of our prosecutors and investigators, who went the extra mile to get her here and prove that this was a forcible rape. The jury saw through the attempts to blame the victim and cloud the facts. My office will continue to prosecute sexual predators to the fullest extent of the law.”

The victim had gone to Davis’s trailer with her boyfriend on Jan. 18, 2014, to buy marijuana, and the three of them—the victim, her boyfriend, and Davis—smoked together. When the boyfriend left to go to the store with two other men, Davis began making sexual advances towards the woman. She pushed him away, but he shoved her on the bed. When she tried to get up, he punched her in the face so hard that she fell to the floor. Davis then picked her up, pushed her on the bed and forcibly raped her. Afterwards, she left the trailer and walked to the trailer where she was staying.

The victim later told her boyfriend and friends, who took her to the hospital. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. DNA evidence linked Davis to the victim.

The post Habitual Offender Gets Life Sentence for Raping Carnival Worker appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 30, 2016

COVINGTON—Michael D. Lizana, 38, who lived just outside Slidell, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday (Sept. 29) after pleading guilty to first degree murder for fatally shooting a St. Tammany Parish firefighter and hiding his body in the trunk of a car in 2011. Lizana could have faced the death penalty if he had gone to trial in January before District Judge Martin E. Coady.

“This was the best possible outcome,” District Attorney Warren Montgomery said. “It spared the family the pain of a trial but delivered the justice that this defendant deserved. We hope it brings some peace and closure to the victim’s family to know that their loved one’s killer will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.”

The victim, David Smith, 43, was a battalion chief and 22-year veteran of the 1st Fire Protection District, serving Slidell and the surrounding areas. His stepdaughter, Daphne Daigle, testified during the court hearing that she was satisfied with the outcome of the case. She said in her Victim Impact Statement that Smith was a wonderful father and that she misses him every day.

Lizana had gone to Smith’s house on April 25, 2011, to discuss the possible sale of Smith’s Camaro. But neighbors called the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office after hearing four quick gunshots. When deputies arrived, Lizana was still there, but he lied and said he occasionally lived there. During a search of the home, officers discovered Smith’s body wrapped in plastic in the trunk of the Camaro, which was parked in the garage. Smith had been shot four times in the chest, shoulder, and head.

Lizana’s car was parked down the street, which led authorities to believe that the arrival of the deputies had interrupted Lizana’s plan to steal the car. Lizana confessed to the crime and was indicted by a grand jury in August 2011. His life sentence is without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

Assistant District Attorneys Butch Wilson, Matthew Caplan, and Jerry Smith prosecuted the case.

The post Slidell Area Man Gets Life Sentence for 2011 Murder of Firefighter appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

COVINGTON—A St. Tammany Parish grand jury has returned second-degree murder indictments against a 16-year-old boy in the March shooting death of his stepfather in Covington and a 35-year-old man accused of shooting to death his estranged girlfriend in Pearl River in July. The grand jury also indicted a 23-year-old Slidell man of first-degree rape while armed with a dangerous weapon and false impersonation of a peace officer.

Daniel T. Hamilton is charged with shooting his stepfather, James “Kenny” Hamilton, to death in the home they shared on Lenel Road in Covington. The case was recorded as the first homicide in St. Tammany Parish this year. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputies were sent to the home on Monday, March 7, after James Hamilton did not report to work, and a relative went to the house and discovered the body. The older Hamilton had been shot six times in the head as he sat in a recliner.

“The decision to charge a 16-year-old with second-degree murder was a difficult one,” District Attorney Warren Montgomery said. “But the details of this gruesome crime merit the serious charge.”

The grand jury on Oct 6 also indicted Jonathan David Talley, of Bogalusa, who is charged with shooting to death Aimee E. Kirst, 33, in her home in Pearl River on July 1 and then fleeing in her car with their three-year-old son. In addition to second-degree murder, Talley is charged with second-degree kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Kirst had gotten a protective order against Talley in June last year, and it was still active at the time of the shooting. The order gave Kirst temporary custody of the couple’s son and ordered Talley not to interfere.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office sent deputies to check on Kirst’s well-being on July 1, after Talley’s mother and stepfather reported to Mississippi authorities that Talley showed up at their home in Lucedale, Mississippi, and revealed to them that he had shot Kirst. Kirst was found dead, with a gunshot wound to her head.

Talley’s arraignment is set for Oct. 31.

In the third case, Dedrick Lyndell Coleman, 23, of Slidell, is charged with raping a 25-year-old woman on June 13, while impersonating a police officer. Investigators say Coleman called a prostitute from an advertisement and arranged to pay her $150, but after the woman arrived, he lied and told her he was a police officer and that she was under investigation.

Coleman showed the woman a pair of handcuffs. With a gun on a sofa a few feet away, Coleman told her that he would not arrest her if she thanked him. He then he grabbed her and forced her to perform sexual acts, according to the investigation.

Coleman’s arraignment is set for Oct. 24.

The post Grand Jury Returns Indictments in Two Murders and Rape Case appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 13, 2016

COVINGTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced Thursday (Oct.13) one of the biggest racketeering cases in the parish’s history, the indictment of 20 people who were members or affiliates of a drug trafficking organization, called Team We. The organization distributed primarily heroin and methamphetamine throughout the eastern side of the parish.

The 45-count indictment (38 felony counts and seven misdemeanors) charges 17 of the defendants with racketeering and includes an array of drug and other charges. Sixteen of the defendants are in police custody, including three of whom are in jails outside St. Tammany and one in federal custody. Four of the defendants are still at large.

The arrests and indictments were the result of a multi-agency investigation by the FBI, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Slidell Police Department, Pearl River Police Department, and District Attorney’s Office.

“This investigation is a great example of federal and local law enforcement agencies working together to address the serious heroin and methamphetamine problem in our community,” Montgomery said. “My administration is taking a proactive approach, assisting in the investigation and moving quickly to indict individuals who have made a career out of crime.”

Montgomery thanked his Criminal Division Chief Collin Sims, Assistant District Attorney Jerry Smith, and Investigators Patrick Matthews and Jerry McDowell for their work on the case, as well as the FBI, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith, Smith’s Chief Deputy Fred Oswald, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Detective Bill Johnson, Slidell Police Chief E.J. Howard, and Pearl River Police Chief Johnny “J.J.” Jennings for the time and resources they committed to the investigation.

According to the indictment, Team We was a major transporter of primarily heroin and methamphetamine from New Orleans and elsewhere to St. Tammany from at least June 1, 2015, through Sept. 1, 2016. Several members of the organization were known to carry firearms, and at times they engaged in threatening and executing acts of violence.

Among the charges in the indictment are attempted second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon against Randy Lee Lail, 35, of Pearl River, who is accused of shooting a fellow member of the organization. Lail allegedly shot fellow defendant Destiny Michelle Dill, 23, of Slidell, in the face May 17, as she sat in the passenger seat of a parked car in Pearl River.

Lail is described in the indictment as a mid- to lower level distributor of heroin and methamphetamine. In addition to the charges related to the shooting, he is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Dill, a low level distributor of methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana, dated several members of the organization and brokered drug deals, according to the indictment. She is charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.

Two additional defendants, Timothy James Polk, 33, of Pearl River, and Marilyn Elizabeth McDonald, 40, of Slidell, were indicted on charges of accessory after the fact to attempted second degree murder in connection with the shooting. Lail was arrested the day after the shooting at a Pearl River home where Polk and McDonald were staying. Neither Polk nor McDonald was charged with racketeering.

Another defendant, John Louis Blackledge, Jr., 29, of Pearl River, was indicted for an incident on March 24 on charges of aggravated assault on a peace officer with a motor vehicle, five counts of resisting an officer with force or violence, aggravated flight from an officer, operating a vehicle while license is suspended/revoked/canceled, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated (first offense). Blackledge is described in the indictment as a mid- to lower level distributor of heroin and methamphetamine and is also charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

The additional defendants, their alleged roles, and the charges are as follows:

• Andrew Scott Barron, 27, of Slidell, a mid- to lower level distributor of heroin and methamphetamine, who routinely acquired methamphetamine from another defendant and shared vehicles used by “Team We” associates; charged with racketeering and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine

• Alexis Marie Broussard, 23, of Slidell, dated several members of the organization, often conducted drug transactions, and introduced members to a heroin supply source in the Hollygrove area of New Orleans; charged with racketeering conspiracy to distribute heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Catlin Wayne Buckles, 24, of Bunnell, Florida, a lower level heroin and methamphetamine distributor, who brokered drug sales for other members; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine
• Kaylee N. Burns, 24, of Picayune, Mississippi, charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia (was not charged with racketeering)

• Justin Hunter Carnegie, 20, of Picayune, Mississippi, a lower level heroin and methamphetamine supplier, who often accompanied a higher level distributor; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine

• Sebastian Dominguez, 24, of Palm Coast, Florida, a mid- to lower level distributor of heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, production and manufacturing marijuana, possession of Buprenorphine/Suboxone, possession of heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Adam J. Ellis, 22, of Slidell, a mid- to higher level distributor of heroin and methamphetamine; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine

• Jason M. Kosinski, 40, of Slidell, a lower level distributor of methamphetamine who routinely accompanied his brother when he distributed methamphetamine and marijuana; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine,

• Jessie Thomas Kosinski, 36, of Slidell, a high level methamphetamine distributor who served as the primary source of supply of methamphetamine for the organization; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and possession of marijuana (first offense)

• Jonathan T. Lawrence, also known as “Migo,” 29, of Metairie, a heroin distributor for a drug trafficking organization, called the “Zoo,” in the Hollygrove area of New Orleans, and a supplier of distribution quantities of heroin to the organization; charged with racketeering and conspiracy to distribute heroin

• Dane Alan McReynolds, 25, of Pearl River, a mid- to high level distributor of heroin and methamphetamine who recruited additional members to the organization and directed their activities in the distribution of drugs; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, five counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Ryan S. McReynolds, 26, of Abita Springs, a mid- to lower level distributor of heroin who at times referred purchasers of methamphetamine to his brother, Dane; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of heroin, and possession of drug paraphernalia

• Justin Lee Olivieri, 25, of Slidell, a mid- to higher level distributor of methamphetamine and marijuana; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of Buprenorphine/Suboxone, possession with intent to distribute MDMA, and production and manufacturing marijuana

• Tina Renee Stuprich, 29, of Slidell, a lower level distributor of methamphetamine, who dated several members of the organization and facilitated drug transactions by providing transportation and money; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and making an improper turn

• Daniel Michael Younce, 26, of Slidell, a lower level distributor of methamphetamine and heroin, who routinely assisted members of the organization by allowing them to use his vehicle to facilitate drug transactions in exchange for drugs and monies; charged with racketeering, conspiracy to distribute heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of distribution of heroin,

The post D.A. Montgomery Announces Historic Racketeering Indictment appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

Oct. 4, 2016

Letters to the Editor
The New Orleans Advocate
1010 Common St.
New Orleans, LA 70112

Dear Editor:

I read with interest John Simerman’s story on Oct. 1 about Louisiana’s habitual offender law, and I’d like to explain my opinion. First, there are many alternatives prior to the use of the habitual offender law. Due to the leadership of the Judges and Law Enforcement community in Washington and St. Tammany parishes, we presently have programs extending from Operation Angel (drug rehabilitation prior to arrest) to the DA’s Diversion program (rehabilitation without a criminal conviction) to the Judges’ specialty courts, including Drug Court, Sobriety Court, Family Preservation Court, Behavioral Health Court, and Reentry Court, among others. All these programs attempt to rehabilitate without incarceration.

However, I want to make it absolutely clear that I support multiple billing as a prosecutorial tool. As expressed in the story, I do believe that the habitual offender law should be used for those who repeatedly prey on others, whether or not their predatory criminal behavior results in violence. For example, the criminal who repeatedly burglarizes homes and automobiles or sells drugs belongs in jail, even if no one was hurt or killed when the crime was committed. Such criminal activities undermine the safety and security of our communities. Therefore, those who choose to commit such criminal acts multiple times indeed deserve tougher sentences than first-time offenders.

I don’t like that the habitual offender law in its current form does not allow judges the ability to suspend a portion of the sentence imposed. For example, the law sets mandatory minimum sentences that cannot be suspended. The value of a suspended sentence is that it hangs over a defendant’s head as a strong deterrent to crime while the defendant is out of prison. The current law also does not include a probationary period for defendants upon their release, which I also believe can help steer defendants from crime.

The habitual offender law does give my prosecutors a “big hammer” to hold over defendants who already have been given second chances through our many specialty courts. But the law also gives prosecutors the option of incrementally ratcheting up the punishment for those who continue to break the law.

Sincerely,

Warren Montgomery

The post DA Montgomery sends letter to Advocate Editor appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 19, 2016

FRANKLINTON—A District judge has sentenced Rachel M. Carrier, 35, who had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy, to eight years in state prison but suspended that portion of the sentence, as long as she complies with several additional terms.

District Judge Martin E. Coady also ordered Carrier, of Bogalusa, to serve one year in the parish jail, five years of probation upon release, and 15 years of registration as a sex offender. She also is required to receive mental health counseling and have no contact with the victim or his family and no unsupervised contact with minors, except for family members.

Carrier’s sentencing was Thursday (Oct. 13), nearly two weeks after she pleaded guilty to six counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The same sentence applied to each of the six counts of carnal knowledge, but the terms are to be served concurrently. Carnal knowledge of a juvenile carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The maximum jail time for the contributing to the delinquency of a minor charge is six months, and Carrier was sentenced to time served for the eight months she has been in jail.

Carrier, a mother of five children, including three teenage girls, had sex with the boy on several occasions and sometimes allowed him and his friends, who are also teenage boys, to spend the night at her home. While the boys were there, Carrier allowed them to smoke and drink. Carrier was arrested by the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office and released on bond, but about six weeks later she was arrested again when authorities discovered she was continuing to see the teenage boy.

The post Woman, 35, Pleads Guilty to Sex with Teen Boy appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

We did some MATH today for Lake Loot! See if you can answer them below. Today we welcomed in Lisa Page from Warren Montgomery’s office. Lisa is the PIO for the DA. She spoke about what the DA’s office is doing to fight domestic violence. We enjoyed getting to talk to Lisa and you can hear what she said below.

The post D.A. ‘s PIO, Lisa Frazier Page on The Lake 94.7 appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 24, 2016

COVINGTON—A St. Tammany Parish jury has convicted Chad Jerome Moore, 31, of Slidell, of attempted aggravated rape and aggravated burglary of an inhabited dwelling for breaking into a home last summer and trying to rape the occupant. The jury deliberated about 2½ hours last Thursday (Oct. 20) before returning the guilty verdict.

The crime occurred about 10:50 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2015, when a woman heard noise in her Slidell home and went into her kitchen to investigate. Moore, who had climbed through a small window, leapt from the kitchen table and began moving toward her.

Despite her screams and attempts to fight him off, he ripped off her shirt, backed her into her bedroom, and pulled out a box cutter to threaten her. Neighbors working on a car outside heard her screaming, ran to the house, and knocked on the door, startling Moore. The victim then was able to use both feet to kick Moore away from her, and she ran out of the house toward the street. Shortly afterward, Moore rushed out of the house, still pulling up his pants.

One of the neighbors who had knocked on the door recognized Moore, and about two hours later police tracked him to a relative’s house, where he was hiding in the clothes dryer.

Moore has several prior convictions: In September 2008, he pleaded guilty in four separate incidents of burglary of an inhabited dwelling and three incidents of attempting to burglarize homes; in December 2008, he pleaded guilty to trespassing; in March 2009, a jury found him guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm; and in April 2009, he pleaded guilty to simple battery. Moore may face up to life in prison, if he is sentenced under the state’s habitual offender law. A sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 11, 2017.

Assistant District Attorneys Blair Alford and Darrell Sims prosecuted the case.

The post Jury Convicts Slidell Man of Attempted Rape and Burglary appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

COVINGTON — Jacob Eli Middleton, Jr., 20, abruptly pleaded guilty Friday (Oct. 28) to two counts of manslaughter for killing his half-sister and their father in Abita Springs early last year. Middleton was sentenced to a total of 70 years in prison—35 on each of the manslaughter charges, which are to be served consecutively. He will not be eligible for probation, parole, or suspension of sentence until after he serves the first 35 years.

The plea agreement brought an unexpected end to Middleton’s first-degree murder trial for the deaths of 2-year-old Makayla Middleton and her father, Jacob Middleton, Sr. The trial began Thursday, after three days of jury selection. But after sitting through nearly two days of emotional testimonies and evidence, family members of both victims and the defendant stated in court Friday that they support the terms of the plea agreement.

“These are difficult cases to resolve,” District Attorney Warren Montgomery said. “The victims are no longer here to speak for themselves, but their family members, who have endured unimaginable suffering, believe that this is the best resolution of this tragic case. In accordance with their wishes and in the interests of justice, I’ve agreed to this plea.”

Jacob Jr., who was 17 at the time, shot his father and half-sister each in the head as they lay sleeping on an air mattress last year between Jan. 3 and Jan. 5 in Jacob Middleton Sr.’s home on Carnation Street in Abita Springs. The father had planned to spend that Saturday afternoon watching a Saints playoff game with his children, followed the next day by pizza and games at Chuck E. Cheese’s. But those plans went awry, and Jacob Sr. did not show up at work or drop Makayla off at her mother’s home on the morning of Jan. 5. That prompted Kellie Bravo, Makayla’s mother, who lived in New Orleans, to drive with two friends to Jacob Sr.’s home, where they discovered the two bodies.

“I went through hell,” Bravo said in a statement just before Jacob Jr.’s sentencing. “I don’t feel bad for him. He knew exactly what he was doing…He was jealous of his little sister.”

Several members of Jacob Jr.’s family, including his grandmother, Mary Chavis, Jacob Sr.’s mother, said the young man had a difficult upbringing and was also a victim. But after accepting the plea, Ad Hoc Judge Bruce Bennett told Jacob Jr. that people should be accountable for their actions, no matter what age. “I have grave concern about who you are on the inside,” Bennett said.

Bennett said it was evident that the murders had ripped the family apart. Jacob Jr. had been given a second chance to better himself, even though he will be incarcerated, and that he “should feel obligated to make every effort to right the wrongs that have been done.”

Assistant District Attorneys William Macke and Elizabeth Authement prosecuted the case.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 31, 2016

COVINGTON—A St. Tammany Parish jury found James D. McIntosh II, 24, of Madisonville, guilty Wednesday (Oct. 26) of two counts of distribution of heroin and two counts of distribution of marijuana. After a two-day trial, the jury deliberated about 42 minutes before announcing the guilty verdict.
McIntosh was arrested after selling heroin and marijuana to a confidential police informant and undercover officer during a Louisiana State Police undercover operation last year on Nov. 19 in Covington and Dec. 1 in Mandeville.
McIntosh faces up to 100 years in prison if he is sentenced as an habitual offender during a hearing on Dec. 8. He has two prior felony convictions, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and simple criminal damage to property worth $500 to $50,000 and a pending domestic abuse by strangulation case.
Assistant District Attorneys Blake Peters and Blair Alford prosecuted the case.

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