On Sunday, November 6th, District Attorney Warren Montgomery will  be competing in the annual “Men Who Cook” event to raise money for the Children’s Advocacy Center, also known as Hope House. The CAC works with children who have been abused – to get them counseling and conduct interviews that are admissible in court so the young victims have a voice.

On November 6th from 4-7, at the upper level of the Justice Center parking garage, teams of “Men Who Cook” will be competing to see who can raise the most money for CAC. 

The post Join the Fun and Help the Children! appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov. 7, 2016

COVINGTON—Keith J. Lafrance, 35, of Covington, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the forcible rape of a woman two years ago. District Judge Raymond Childress issued the sentence Oct. 31, about 2½ weeks after a jury found him guilty.

The crime came to light on Sept. 22, 2014, when police received an anonymous call that a woman had been severely beaten at a home in Covington. When St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the residence, the woman initially was afraid to open the door and talk to them. But one of the officers, Det. Lawrence Hudson, had investigated a prior incident, involving Lafrance and the same victim. The officers persisted, and she eventually let them inside and told them that Lafrance had threatened to kill her if she left or told anyone what happened.

The victim said she had gone to the house on Sept. 21, 2014, to pick up her car, but Lafrance became irate and attacked her, punching, kicking, and hitting her repeatedly with her mobile phone so hard that it shattered. He also berated and raped her, threatened to kill her, took her car to another location, and ordered her to stay inside without her car or mobile phone until she healed. Officers were able to identify the anonymous callers as two furniture rental employees, who said they had gone to the home to pick up furniture and noticed that the woman had been severely injured and appeared terrified. The men testified during the trial that they called 9-1-1 because they were concerned for her safety and well-being.

Lafrance had pleaded guilty in June to domestic abuse aggravated assault and domestic abuse battery, for a July 2014 incident, involving the same victim. He pushed her down, kicked, beat, and threatened her alternately with a kitchen knife and gun. Police also found Alprazolam and marijuana on him, and he also pleaded guilty to possession of both. He was sentenced to three years in prison on each of the drug charges and one year for each of the domestic abuse charges. All of the time was to be served concurrently.

Assistant District Attorneys Becky Jo Hollen and Jay Adair prosecuted the case.

The post Covington Man Gets 20 Years for Forcible Rape appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

District Attorney Warren Montgomery made the following statement Tuesday, regarding the recent ruling by ad hoc Judge Marion Edwards in the District Attorney’s civil lawsuit against parish government: “I and the Louisiana District Attorneys Association do not believe the ruling is a correct interpretation of the law. Also, a year ago, the people voted to keep the D.A. as the legal adviser for parish government. A fundamental American principle is that power belongs to the people. Judge Edwards’ ruling contradicts the will of the people, as expressed in their vote. Therefore, I am appealing the ruling.”

The post DA Montgomery’s Statement on Appealing Recent Ruling appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

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Nov. 21, 2016

COVINGTON—A St. Tammany Parish jury found Larry Bickham, 60, of Slidell, guilty Friday (Nov. 18) of charges related to his 17-month-old daughter’s positive test for cocaine during a hospital stay in 2014. Bickham is set for sentencing Jan. 20 before District Judge William Burris for second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and simple cruelty to a juvenile for allowing the victim to be present during the manufacturing, distribution, or purchasing of cocaine.

Bickham, who has other felony convictions, faces up to life in prison if sentenced as a habitual offender.

District Attorney Warren Montgomery said: “At the heart of this case is a beautiful little girl, who at just 17 months old tested positive for cocaine in her system. She had no say in her father’s drug addiction. But the jury rightly held her father responsible for the harm his addiction caused this little girl.”

The case against Bickham stemmed from an incident on May 1, 2014, when his toddler daughter was rushed to the emergency room at Ochsner Hospital in Slidell and tested positive for cocaine. Witnesses testified during the weeklong trial that they had smoked crack and used drugs with Bickham and the girl’s mother, Kayla Gregg, on numerous occasions while the child was in the home.
By the time of the emergency room visit, though, Gregg was no longer living with Bickham and had left the baby with him. A woman who had kept the toddler for Bickham in the past testified that he called her on May 1, 2014, and asked her to care for the toddler temporarily because the baby was not feeling well. The temporary caregiver testified that she brought the child home with her but then rushed to the emergency room after the toddler showed signs of having a seizure.

Bickham’s attorneys argued that the trip to the emergency room was part of a scheme by the temporary caregiver, who had been a friend of the toddler’s mother, to get full custody of the child from Bickham.

Criminal Division Chief Collin Sims prosecuted the case with Assistant District Attorney William Macke. They urged the jury to block out the distractions of the case. Sims in his closing argument told the jury that the little girl had been failed by those expected to protect her, and he urged the jury to hold the father accountable. The jury deliberated about 3½ hours before returning a unanimous verdict on the simple cruelty charge and voting 10-2 on the second-degree cruelty charge.

The post Jury Finds Slidell Man Guilty for Sick Toddler’s Positive Cocaine Test appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

This morning we talked Warren Montgomery. He spoke about a wide range of topics, including the disagreement with STPG that is playing out in the courts.

The post November 17, 2016 DA Montgomery speaks live on the Lake 94.7 appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

Please click here to view the 2017 Budget.

The post 2017 Budget appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dec. 1, 2016

A Washington Parish grand jury indicted Lance J. Grandison, 31, of Franklinton, Wednesday (Nov. 29) of aggravated rape of a victim under 13.
Grandison is accused of raping a 5-year-old girl who was left in his care about five years ago. The victim, now 11, disclosed the rape to her mother, who contacted the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. Grandison was arrested on a warrant about seven months later.

FRANKLINTON—

The post Franklinton Man Indicted in Rape of 5-Year-Old appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

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Dec. 9, 2016

FRANKLINTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced that Kyle Warren, 26, of Bogalusa, has pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder and armed robbery for robbing a Bogalusa convenience store and attacking the cashier and a customer with a pipe earlier this year.

After Warren’s guilty plea on Tuesday (Dec. 6), District Judge Martin Coady sentenced him to 25 years in prison without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
Warren was one of two masked men who entered the Thrifty Shop in Bogalusa about 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 9 with pipes and began to attack the cashier and a customer. The cashier and customer fought back, causing the masked men to flee. The event was captured on the store’s surveillance system. The clerk told Bogalusa Police Department officers that the two men had been visiting the store frequently before the robbery.

An investigation by the Bogalusa police led to the arrest of Warren and his father, Ronald Warren, who is set for trial Dec. 12.
Kyle Warren also pleaded guilty to other pending charges, including domestic abuse battery by strangulation and second degree battery for attacking a pregnant woman last year. He was sentenced to five years in prison. He was sentenced to two years in prison after his guilty plea to theft for stealing money from a woman’s purse in a Wal Mart grocery cart. Both sentences will be served concurrently with the 25-year term.

The post Bogalusa Man Gets 25 Years in Prison for Convenience Store Robbery appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dec. 9, 2016

COVINGTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced that a St. Tammany Parish grand jury on Thursday (Dec. 8) indicted Jerry J. Kan, 58, a former cook at an assisted living facility in Mandeville, of raping an elderly woman who lived there. Kan was formally charged with first degree rape of a person over the age of 65.

On August 26, an employee of Beau Provence Memory Care Assisted Living contacted the Mandeville Police Department with information about possible sexual misconduct between Kan, who was working at the facility at the time, and a 78-year-old resident. Kan had been seen exiting the resident’s room several times on Aug. 21. A nurse who went to check on the resident after Kan left found her partially clothed and attempting to get dressed. An investigation resulted in Kan’s arrest on August 29.

Beau Provence exclusively serves people who have been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. An administrator at the facility was later charged with obstruction of justice. Her case is still under review.

The post St. Tammany Parish Grand Jury Indicts Memory Care Facility Cook of Rape appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dec. 13, 2016

COVINGTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced that a St. Tammany Parish jury has found Jason Yates, 39, of Grand Bay, Alabama, guilty of downloading multiple files containing child pornography at his Covington office three years ago. The jury returned the guilty verdict Thursday (Dec. 8) on five counts of possession of pornography of juveniles under 13 and two counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles.

Yates, who worked as a warehouse employee at a company that installed satellite dishes, faces from 10 to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced by District Judge William Knight on Jan. 5, 2017.

Yates’ crime came to light when the investigation division of the Louisiana Department of Justice (Attorney General’s Office) was alerted that files suggestive of child pornography had been downloaded to a computer at a Covington business. An investigation by Brian Brown, Lisa Maher, Brett LaBauve, and Alex Harris of the Louisiana Department of Justice led to Yates, who was alone in the office when the files were downloaded.

Assistant District Attorneys John Alford and Luke Lancaster prosecuted the case.

The post Jury Convicts Alabama Man of Downloading Child Porn at Covington Job appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

Tune in the 2nd Wednesday of each month for listen to Mr. Montgomery.

From the Lake: DA Warren Montgomery was in the studios this morning. We talked Veteran’s Court, technology and about his plans for the Christmas break. Thanks to the DA for his time. He said info will be online soon at the new Vet’s Court on DAMontgomery.org.

The post DA Warren Montgomery was on The Lake 94.7 with Charles Dowdy on Wednesday, December 14th. appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

Jan. 12, 2017
(Edited version)

FRANKLINTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery reported that Yancie Moseley, 74, who owns Moseley’s Gold Buyers in Bogalusa, pleaded guilty Monday (Jan. 9) to a series of charges related to his receiving and failing to report stolen merchandise. Moseley pleaded guilty to felony illegal possession of stolen things over $1,500, failure to report daily entries of secondhand goods, and disposing or changing the identity of things during a 30-day period by the dealer.

District Judge Allison Penzato sentenced Mosley to eight years in prison for the illegal possession charge, but Penzato suspended the prison term as long as Moseley meets the obligations of a five-year probation. Penzato also sentenced Moseley to the maximum 60 days in prison on the misdemeanor reporting violations but suspended that sentence and placed him on two years of probation. All of the sentences are to run concurrently. Moseley also was ordered to pay restitution, which will be determined at a hearing on April 4.

The crime dates back to Oct. 23, 2015, when a Mandeville homeowner reported that numerous guns and jewelry had been stolen from his home. The homeowner suspected that a contractor who had been doing work in the home was the culprit. The contractor, Danny Chain, Jr., 27, of Franklinton, was subsequently arrested after St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered that one of the stolen items had been sold at a Bogalusa pawn shop (An earlier version of this news release incorrectly stated that Moseley was an employee of the pawn shop). Chain later admitted selling other items that had been stolen from the St. Tammany Parish home to Moseley. Moseley then used his business practices to conceal the items and failed to meet certain reporting requirements of the transaction. The victim has claimed the stolen items were valued at between $25,000 and $40,000, but Moseley disputes that value.

Chain pleaded guilty last September to theft charges and was sentenced to two years in prison.

The post Bogalusa Businessman Pleads Guilty to Hiding Stolen Merchandise appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 18, 2017

FRANKLINTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery reported that Jason Jarrell Spikes, 31, an inmate in the Washington Parish jail, was sentenced Friday (Jan. 13) to five years in prison for possession of contraband in a state correctional institution. A Washington Parish jury found Spikes guilty last Wednesday (Jan. 11) of possessing a homemade knife that was found in his bunk.

Spikes was convicted previously of three drug felonies, and he has a pending attempted murder charge, as well as other charges that stem from his incarceration in the parish jail. A hearing before District Judge William J. “Rusty” Knight on Feb. 17 will determine whether Spikes will be sentenced as a multiple offender. If so, he faces from 20 years to life in prison.

During the trial last week, security officers testified that on Feb. 27, 2016, they noticed Spikes appeared to be either sick or impaired in his cell. When officers went to check on Spikes further, they searched his cell and found a “shank,” apparently made from a broken microwave plate, under the edge of his mattress.

The jury returned the guilty verdict on the contraband charge but acquitted Spikes on a charge of possessing a synthetic cannabinoid (marijuana). Assistant District Attorney Lewis Murray prosecuted the case.

The post Washington Parish Inmate Gets Five Years in Prison for ‘Shank’ appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

D.A. Warren Montgomery discussed some of his administration’s accomplishments today as the guest speaker for the Women of Infinite Possibilities’ monthly meeting.

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The post D.A. Warren Montgomery was the keynote speaker today at the 22nd JDC Bar Association’s January CLE Luncheon appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              Feb. 1, 2017

BOGALUSA—District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s juvenile community service program in Bogalusa benefitted recently from new safety features added to its van by the City Prosecutor’s Office.

The van is used to transport juveniles under court supervision to pick up litter throughout Bogalusa as part of the youths’ punishment. City Prosecutor David Merlin Duke financed the installation of lettering across the vehicle’s sides and most recently a caution light bar atop it to alert motorists.

The van was donated a couple of years ago by the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center, which provides housing and other services for juveniles awaiting court dates or adjudication in five parishes. Once a vehicle in the center’s fleet reaches 100,000 miles, it is considered surplus and can no longer be used for the regular transport of juveniles to proceedings in the various parishes. The center’s board decided to donate its surplus van to the District Attorney’s juvenile program, which is supervised in Bogalusa by Mike Breland. The program’s previous van was at least 30 years old.

The public officials in the attached photo are (from left to right): David Merlin Duke, Bogalusa City Prosecutor; Tonia Deleon, Juvenile Court Clerk; City Court Judge Robert J. Black; District Attorney Warren Montgomery; Darrell Darden, Juvenile Investigator; Joseph Dominick, Executive Director, Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center; Mike Breland, Supervisor, Juvenile Community Service Program.

The post D.A.’s Bogalusa Juvenile Program Van Gets Donated Upgrades appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

Yesterday Afternoon (Feb. 8) was a beautiful day for a walk when District Attorney Warren Montgomery joined Julie Agan, Executive Director of the Council On Aging St. Tammany (COAST), for the group’s “Getting Into the Grove With our Seniors on the Move” walk around the Justice Center in Covington.  The walk was in support of St. Tammany Parish seniors staying active, healthy and independent. Other public officials who participated were Covington Mayor Mike Cooper, Covington Chief of Police Tim Lentz and Slidell Council Member Glynn Pichon (District A).  For more information about all of the great things this organization is doing, visit its website at: http://coastseniors.org/wpress/.   

The post D.A. Joined public officials and the Council on Aging St. Tammany for a Walk around the Justice Center appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

Feb. 9, 2017

FRANKLINTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery reported that David Peek, 56, of Mount Hermon, pleaded guilty Tuesday (Feb. 7) to forcible rape, aggravated incest, and 27 counts of possession of child pornography with children under age 13.

District Judge Allison Penzato sentenced him to 35 years in prison on the forcible rape charge, 25 years on the incest charge, and 20 years on the pornography charges. All of the sentences will be served at the same time. Peek is also required to register as a sex offender if he is ever released from prison. The District Attorney’s Office contacted the victims’ families, who agreed to the terms of the plea.

The victim was 8 or 9 years old when Peek began fondling her and then had sex with her in his Mount Hermon home. He eventually had sex with the victim on two separate occasions. Several years later, a teacher became concerned about the girl and notified her parents. When questioned, the girl reported the abuse to her father, and the family contacted police. Soon afterward, another victim came forward and reported that Peek had made inappropriate sexual contact with her when she was between the ages of 9 and 12 during a visit to his home.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated and took a statement from Peek, who claimed that any inappropriate touching was accidental or happened while he was sleeping. After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found numerous images of child pornography on Peek’s phone. Peek was charged initially with aggravated rape, but it was amended to forcible rape as part of the plea agreement.

The post Mount Hermon Man Pleads Guilty to Rape appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Feb. 17, 2017

COVINGTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith announced the indictment and arrest of  two former Franco’s Athletic Club employees Friday (Feb. 17) on charges of racketeering, theft, identity theft, and money laundering in a scheme that bilked the Mandeville company of more than $1.7 million.

The indictment accuses Emily L. Davis, 42, of Ponchatoula, the club’s former finance director, and Jennifer E. Thompson, 45, of Mandeville, the human resources director, of conspiring between March 1, 2008 and July 31, 2016, to steal cash and electronic funds systematically from Franco’s in the following ways:

• Taking more than $1.4 million in cash for their personal uses
• Erasing more than $165,000 in personal, in-house credit account charges through the use of fictitious bank accounts
• Erasing more than $19,000 in personal loans from their employer’s 401K retirement fund
• Laundering the proceeds by making cash deposits, totaling $300,000 in various personal bank accounts

Davis and Thompson have been charged with racketeering, three counts of theft, and one count each of money laundering. Davis was charged with an additional count of theft and two counts of identity theft for allegedly using the name of the club’s owners to obtain $1,000 without authorization on two different occasions. The charges are based on an investigation by the joint Financial Crimes Task Force, headed by Sgt. Stefan Montgomery, Det. Jason Mire, and Assistant District Attorney Butch Ward.

Both women are in the custody of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The post Grand Jury Indicts Two Former Franco’s Athletic Club Workers appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.

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Feb. 21, 2017

COVINGTON—District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced that a St. Tammany Parish grand jury indicted five people Friday (Feb. 17) with second degree murder and other charges related to a Slidell shoot-out that resulted in the death of a 19-year-old man in January.

The shooting occurred Jan. 8 when two parties began firing at each other during a drug transaction, which resulted in the death of Javonte Donaldson. Those charged in the incident are:

• Christover A. Davis, 22, of Slidell, second degree murder
• Anthony Akeem Ussin, 26, of Slidell, principal to second degree murder
• Cody Winchell Hartley, 20, of Slidell, principal to second degree murder and obstruction of justice
• Joshua Calvin Gayles, 22, of Slidell, attempted second degree murder, principal to second degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, three counts of attempted armed robbery with a firearm, and obstruction of justice
• Amira Shantell Bickham, 19, of Slidell, principal to second degree murder and three counts of attempted armed robbery with a firearm

The grand jury also returned indictments in two additional cases:

• John Eugene Burgess, 58, of Lacombe, was charged with four counts of first degree rape of a victim under the age of 13 in the rape of three victims, who were ages 10, 5, and 9 at the time of the crimes, between March and September 2016.
• Trey Allen Boudreaux, 18, of Pearl River, and a 16-year-old juvenile were charged with first-degree rape of a victim who suffered from a physical or mental infirmity. The crime occurred between Dec. 1, 2015, and August 23, 2016.

The post Grand Jury Indicts Five People in Fatal Slidell Shooting appeared first on District Attorney Warren Montgomery 22nd Judicial District, Louisiana.