Lt. Brent Bourgeois, right, receives the Knights of Columbus St. Bernard Deputy of the Year Award from Larry Gonzales, left, Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Rummel Council 5747 in Chalmette. STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTO.

May 29, 2011 - Lt. Brent Bourgeois, a 14-year veteran of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, who is a member of the department’s motorcycle division within its Traffic Division, has been named the Knights of Columbus St. Bernard Sheriff’s Deputy of the Year.

This is the first time since Hurricane Katrina that the Catholic men’s fraternal and charity-oriented organization’s Archbishop Rummel Council 5747 in Chalmette has given a Deputy of the Year Award.

Bourgeois, a Chalmette native, has served in several divisions of the Sheriff’s Office since he joined the department in 1997, advancing to the rank of lieutenant.

He has worked in the Communications Division, as a patrol deputy, in the Street Crimes Unit of the Special Investigations Division, in the Traffic Division and is a member of the sheriff’s SWAT team, used in emergency situations.

In the fall of 2008, Lt. Bourgeois became one of two deputies – along with Lt. Mike Ingargiola – who were chosen to re-establish the sheriff’s Motorcycle Division.

He has held been active in DWI enforcement in St. Bernard Parish, which is so vital to ensuring the safety of motorists.

Lt. Bourgeois has previously been a recipient of a Knights of Columbus award as a deputy, prior to Hurricane Katrina.

Bourgeois, whose family also attended the Knights of Columbus Rummel Council awards banquet at its hall on Paris Road, said it was an honor to be chosen by the group. “There are so many good officers at the Sheriff’s Office who keep this parish safe. Each bring their own talents,’’ Bourgeois said.

Rummel Council Grand Knight Larry Gonzales said the organization re-re-established the Deputy of the Year Award, as well as a Firefighter of the Year Award, as a means of showing appreciation for the job done by St. Bernard Parish first responders, who daily put themselves on the line for parish residents.

“This award (received by Bourgeois) used to be given before the hurricane,’’ Gonzales said. “We wanted to start it again because we have one of the safest parishes in this state and that’s because the Sheriff’s Office works so hard to keep it that way.’’

Deputy Chief Richard Baumy, representing the Sheriff’s Office, said, “We appreciate it when a group recognizes the work of the men and women of the department. First-responders including deputies, firefighters and emergency technicians are out there every day to help St. Bernard.’’

The Knights of Columbus are known for charitable projects and youth activities in the New Orleans area, including St. Bernard Parish. They are a corporate sponsor of Children’s Hospital, which serves the needs of children throughout the area, and is a contributor to the St. Bernard Parish Recreation Department.

The annual Louisiana Crawfish Festival, held in Chalmette in the Spring, is a principal fund-raising event for the Knights of Columbus, with proceeds going to charitable causes.

May 27, 2011 - Three men have received 25-year prison sentences after guilty pleas in a Sheriff’s Office seizure of 13 pounds of cocaine worth $600,000 at a Chalmette home in 2008. It was the largest cocaine bust in St. Bernard Parish in 20 years and also included confiscation of $81,000 in cash, numerous weapons and vehicles.

The wife of one of the men, who at the time of the Oct. 15, 2008, arrest was a civilian employee of the New Orleans Police Department, was given a suspended 10-year sentence and placed on five years active probation.

State District Judge Jacques Sanborn sentenced alleged leader of the group Keith Martin, 33 at the time of the arrest, to a 25-year prison term and gave the 10-year suspended sentence to Martin’s wife, Contrice Martin, then-31, who both lived at 8420 Valor Drive in Chalmette where the cocaine was found. The wife resigned her NOPD job after her arrest.

Also sentenced to 25 years were Tony Green, 37 at the time of the arrest, of New Orleans who sometimes stayed at the Valor residence; and David Haywood, 29, of Avondale on the West Bank.

The men pleaded guilty to possession of more than 400 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute and the woman to attempted possession.

St. Bernard Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said Martin told authorities the men had moved to Chalmette because they believed St. Bernard was safer than the city and they would be free from attacks by other drug-dealers.

“They may think they are safer here from other drug-dealers but they aren’t safe from law enforcement,’’ Pohlmann said. “Drug-dealers are being given long sentences in St. Bernard’s court system.’’ Their drug sales would have taken place outside St. Bernard, the sheriff said.

As well as the cocaine, agents from the Special Investigations Division found more than $81,000 in cash and four AK-47 assault rifles, one of which had been stolen in the Houston area, and two handguns, Pohlmann said. Four vehicles were also seized at the house.

Judge Sanborn ordered all of the seized assets be forfeited to law enforcement.

Most of the cocaine recovered had just been brought from Houston, where the three men had traveled while the Valor Drive house was under sheriff’s surveillance. Some of the cocaine was in the attic while they were gone.

The house was raided after the men returned. Deputies made their move after Keith Martin walked out of the house and the others were found inside.

The key to the arrests and drug seizure was a keen eye by military police who were in a convenience store in Arabi early Oct. 14, 2008, and found it suspicious when they saw two men in slippers buying large amounts of baking soda and plastic baggies – items commonly used to make and bag up crack cocaine for distribution, Pohlmann said.

They took special notice when they returned to the store later in the morning and again saw the same men there again, buying baking soda, authorities said. They decided to take down the license plate number of the vehicle the men were using and it was determined to be a rental car, which aroused even greater suspicion.

The military officers turned the information over to St. Bernard sheriff’s deputies who, because the suspicious men were in slippers, surmised they might live nearby, and decided  to make a check of houses in the surrounding area. Within 10 minutes deputies found the rental vehicle in the Valor Drive driveway, Pohlmann said.

Narcotics officers then began surveillance at the home, which ended in the arrests.

Taylor Beatmann, 25, arrested in a Chalmette church while separating 60 pills

May 27, 2011 - A man was arrested in a Chalmette church as he separated piles of narcotic pills and used some, with about 60 recovered, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Taylor Beatmann, 25, 2413 Rosetta Drive, Chalmette, was booked with four counts of illegal possession of prescription drugs about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, after he was found in a church in the 1600 block of East Judge Perez Drive by Dep. Sheriff Bryan Fleetwood.

The Sheriff’s Office was called by someone who saw a man through a window standing in the children’s section of the church, and he was separating and using pills, Pohlmann said.

Deputy Fleetwood, when he entered the area, saw several piles of pills on a desk and after advising the suspect of his rights asked if he had prescriptions for them. The man, later identified as Beatmann, acknowledged he didn’t.

Beatmann attends the church where he was arrested. There wasn’t any information on why he brought the pills into the building.

Recovered were about 60 tablets of the drugs Xanax, Oxycodone, Codeine and Soma, Pohlmann said, and had a combined street value of more than $400.

Beatmann, who has a prior criminal history, was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison and is being held in lieu of$25,000 bond.
 

May 18, 2011 - The Sheriff’s Office has been responding to complaints of 4-wheel all-terrain vehicles being driven illegally on streets and citations are being issued and vehicles of repeat offenders have been impounded, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

In one extreme case, a Chalmette woman whose 11-year-old son had been seen several times illegally driving a 4-wheeler – and was even pulling his younger sister in a trailer – was arrested May 14 after resisting impoundment. The woman raised a trailer hitch above her head as if she was going to strike the deputy who had come to her home and she was booked with aggravated assault.

“We don’t want to arrest anyone over 4-wheelers,’’ Pohlmann said, but noted the mother had been warned several times about how unsafe it was for her juveniles to be riding one illegally on a street and she become enraged at a deputy. The woman later apologized, he said.

ATVs are not legal on streets, Pohlmann said, and their use by both adults and juveniles is getting out-of-hand, prompting complaints from people who don’t want to hit or be hit by one of the vehicles.

“We are getting a number of complaints about 4-wheelers being driven on streets, on private property and on the Mississippi River levee,’’ Pohlmann said. “And our deputies are dealing with this from Arabi to Delacroix Island.”

“I want to warn parents about what the law says: The fact is 4-wheelers can only be driven off-road. If you don’t have property for them to be driven on, you probably shouldn’t buy them,’’ Pohlmann said.

He said citations are being issued after warnings go unheeded, he said, and repeat offenders such as the woman with the juveniles riding them are seeing the vehicles impounded.

“There are reasons they can’t be legally driven in the street,’’ Pohlmann said. “They are unsafe in many situations, particularly when driven carelessly, and many people across the country have been killed or maimed in accidents in the last 10 years.’’

Also, ATV riders can’t just trespass on other people’s property or drive them on the river levee, as many people do. “That’s a very bad idea right now, with the water so high in the river that it’s causing flooding and everyone concerned about damaging a levee and causing a partial collapse or seepage of water,’’ Pohlmann said. People simply will not be allowed to drive ATVs on them, he said.

Four-wheel ATVs are popular with hunters, farmers, ranchers and workers at construction sites. They have the ability to haul small loads on attached racks or small dump beds.

But Pohlmann said safety issues have been involved in their use since ATVs were introduced in the early 1970s and almost immediately there were alarming injury rates for children and adolescents. Based on analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank, ATVs are more dangerous than dirt bikes, possibly due to crush injuries and failure to wear safety gear such as helmets. They are equally as dangerous as motorcycles, based on mortality and injury scores. Also, more children and women are injured on ATVs.

In the United States, statistics released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission show that in 2005 there were an estimated 136,700 injuries associated with ATVs treated in US hospital emergency rooms. In 2004, 767 people died in ATV-associated incidents. The risk of injury in 2005 was 171.5 injuries per 10,000 four-wheel ATVs in use and the risk of death in 2004 was 1.1 deaths per 10,000 four-wheelers in use.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CPSC have recommended no children under the age of 16 should ride ATVs. National associations of pediatricians, consumer advocates and emergency room doctors have urged the banning of sales of adult-size ATVs for use by children under 16 because the machines are too big and fast for young drivers to control.

Most ATV manufacturers recommend at least a suitable DOT-approved helmet, protective eyewear, gloves and suitable riding boots for all riding conditions.

May 16, 2011 - The public is invited to see dozens of deputies from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office who will carry the “Flame of Hope” for Special Olympics Louisiana in Chalmette on Friday, May 20, with a Law Enforcement Torch Run beginning at 8 a.m. at the parish Civic Center and proceeding on Jean Lafitte Parkway.

The aim is to bring awareness to Special Olympics Louisiana and the State Summer Games beginning that night in Hammond.

Starting point of the 3-mile run will be at the Frederick Sigur Civic Center at 8245 W. Judge Perez Dr. Runners will proceed east on Patricia Street to Jean Lafitte Parkway, then turn southbound on Jean Lafitte and proceed to West. St. Bernard Highway.

Runners will then make a "U" turn and proceed northbound on Jean Lafitte, continuing northbound until its intersection at Benjamin St., where they will make another "U" turn and proceed back southbound on Jean Lafitte Parkway to Patricia Street. Runners will then turn west bound on Patricia Street. and end at the Gazebo near the intersection of Patricia and Dr. Meraux Lane.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, celebrating its 28th year, is an international series of torch relays, run by law enforcement officers leading up to each state or nation’s Special Olympics Summer Games.

The Special Olympics Louisiana State Summer Games will be held May 20-22 on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.

Officers began carrying the torch from all points of Louisiana beginning Monday, May 16. They will conduct a ceremonial lighting on the capitol steps the morning of Friday, May 20 and the run will culminate at the Opening Ceremonies on the evening of May 20.

The final leg of the run will begin at 6 pm in Hammond and will end at SLU’s Strawberry Stadium for the Opening Ceremonies of the State Summer Games. 

Special Olympics Louisiana’s Law Enforcement Torch Run hosts various fundraising events in all areas of the state year-round. The Law Enforcement Torch Run® is Special Olympics’ largest annual grass roots fund raising and public awareness campaign. 

More than 2,000 law enforcement officers will carry the “Flame of Hope” throughout Louisiana and also work year-round conducting other fund raising activities for Special Olympics Louisiana.

For more information on the Law Enforcement Torch Run or events in your area, visit www.laso.org.

Special Olympics Louisiana is a state-wide organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. It offers year-round programs for 13,500 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in all 64 parishes with the help of 12,000 volunteers.

Programs are for people beginning at age 2 and there is no upper age limit. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics. For more information, visit www.laso.org.

Dep. Sheriff Shoemaker receives his Life Saver Award from Catalanotto.  STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTOS.

May 15, 2011 - St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Byron Shoemaker knew something was seriously wrong when he heard crying inside a Chalmette home as he approached April 16 after a call about a woman who had made threats to smother her young children.

He knocked on the door, the mother said there wasn’t a problem, but Shoemaker insisted on going in. He spoke with the girls, ages 6 and 10, and both said their mother had held them by the throat and had also tried to put a pillow over the youngest one’s head.

The woman, who had been drinking alcohol beverages as well as taking her prescription medicine, was booked with 2 counts of attempted murder and the children were removed from the home.

For his actions in rescuing the children, Shoemaker was honored with the Life Saver Award by the Kiwanis Club of St. Bernard/Arabi on Tuesday, May 10.

The reward is “in recognition of courageous service to our community,’’ said Chalmette businessman Sam Catalanotto, chairman for the Life-Saver Award. Kiwanis Club President Patrice Cusimano also participated in the award presentation.

“The Kiwanis Club didn’t envision this award as being for life-saving heroics, but as an award in recognition of the everyday heroic efforts of our deputies and firefighters in St. Bernard Parish,’’ Catalanotto said at the evening meeting. “They are the first ones in the door, or the first ones on the scene, always willing to put their lives on the line so that St. Bernard continues to be safe.’’

St. Bernard Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann, Shoemaker’s commander Maj. Mark Poche and Lt. Robert Broadhead all attended for the Sheriff’s Office.

Shoemaker has been a sheriff’s deputy in St. Bernard Parish nearly two years and before that was an emergency medical technician for 16 years and still works at that part-time, including serving as paramedic on the sheriff’s SWAT team.

“It’s a pleasure to serve the community,’’ Shoemaker said in accepting the award. “You never expect to get anything for it.’’

Shoemaker also said he believes the children were in danger of harm from their mother, who was distraught and had been drinking alcohol beverages as well as taking her prescription medicine. He said that when he went inside, “The kids were in an emotional state. I knew something had happened,’’ which he confirmed when he spoke with them.

Pohlmann said Shoemaker’s insistence on going into the home to see the children may have saved their lives because it’s obvious the mother wasn’t in her full faculties and had attempted to harm them.

The woman’s older daughter called the Sheriff’s Office that afternoon and said her mother had left a strange message on her phone voice mail saying she intended to smother her two youngest sisters – both daughters of the mother who called the oldest sister.

Pohlmann said from the podium he first met Shoemaker as a paramedic and respected the job he did, then Shoemaker decided he wanted to be a sheriff’s deputy with the proviso he would keep up his paramedic training to provide that service as well. “We could get double mileage out of him.’’

Pohlmann also said Shoemaker “went with his instincts and training’’ when he went into the home and sized up the situation with the kids and mother. “We appreciate the job he does and his spirit,’’ Pohlmann said of the deputy.
 

Larry Rudolph, 47, of Slidell, wanted for armed robbery in New Orleans and arrested in Chalmette as he allegedly tried to find a buyer for an expensive watch taken in the robbery.

May 12, 2011 - A convicted felon from Slidell who spent 18 years in prison for robbery and kidnapping and has been arrested several times for murder was caught in Chalmette by St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s detectives and deputies as he and others tried to sell a custom watch taken in a recent armed robbery in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Larry Rudolph, 47, whom New Orleans police were seeking on an armed robbery arrest warrant, was booked Wednesday night, May 11, along with four others after they came to a Chalmette store. Also, 25 units of heroin, crack cocaine, powdered cocaine and marijuana were also recovered, Pohlmann said.

A second man participated in the armed robbery in which an expensive watch was stolen but no one else has been identified.

“This man (Rudolph) is a dangerous individual but we received information he may be coming here and we were ready,’’ Pohlmann said.

All five of the arrested men have lengthy criminal histories but Rudolph’s is particularly bad, including two arrests for murder, one for attempted murder and the prison stay for armed robbery and kidnapping, burglary and narcotics offenses. He was never convicted of the murders or attempted killings. He is also a suspect in up to nine other armed robberies in New Orleans at this time, Pohlmann said.

He said some of the suspects arrested had an expensive watch with them when they entered a store in Chalmette - and it could have been the one New Orleans police were looking for - but the store owner declined to purchase it.

The item wasn’t recovered during the arrest of the five, Pohlmann said. New Orleans police took possession of the vehicles involved and they were going to be searched.

Rudolph was arrested in a vehicle stopped by St. Bernard Sheriff’s Det. Trey Delaune after surveillance was conducted in the parking lot of a Chalmette store, Pohlmann said.

Two vehicles carrying five men arrived in a parking lot about 7 p.m. the night of May 11 and several entered and exited a store, before a vehicle with three men drove away, Pohlmann said.

The vehicle was followed and was stopped for traffic offenses on Judge Perez Drive near the government complex in the 8200 block of the highway. Rudolph and another man were arrested at that time and Rudolph had quantities of cocaine and marijuana on him, Pohlmann said.
 
Others were also arrested as they tried to leave the store area.

Rudolph was booked on the armed robbery arrest warrant from New Orleans and with possession of crack cocaine, powdered cocaine and marijuana.

Miguel Keelen, 22, of New Orleans, was booked with possession with intent to distribute 25 wrapped units of heroin that he had hidden in a body cavity and with possession of stolen things. Corey Warren, 32, of Slidell, and Larry Smith, 35, of New Orleans, were both booked with marijuana possession; and Corey Day, 27, of New Orleans was booked with resisting arrest.

Cassandra Blackledge, 18, booked with solicitation for murder

May 11, 2011 - An 18-year-old Arabi woman has been booked with solicitation for murder in St. Bernard Parish for trying to hire a man to kill an 18-year-old Chalmette woman they both know, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann.

Cassandra Blackledge, 1308 Mehle Drive, is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $400,000 bond set in the case.

There wasn’t any indication why Blackledge wanted the other 18-year-old killed.

A New Orleans man had sent the intended victim a text message May 3 telling her Blackledge called him and wanted to hire him to kill the teen-ager, Pohlmann said.

He said the intended victim initially called the Sheriff’s Office to report threats being made on a social networking site to have her shot.

A sheriff’s deputy viewed the threatening messages and confirmed Blackledge was posting them. The deputy was also shown a text from the New Orleans man who knew both teen-agers, in which he told the intended victim Blackledge wanted to hire him to kill her, Pohlmann said.

The man involved was contacted by the Sheriff’s Office and cooperated, acknowledging the phone call from Blackledge, Pohlmann said.

Upon further investigation by sheriff’s detectives, a state district judge signed a warrant for Blackledge’s arrest on the charge of solicitation for murder, which carries a sentence of a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20.

Det. Sgt. Donald Johnson arrested Blackledge May 4 and she has been jailed since.

May 9, 2011 - Two City of N.O. Public Works Department employees were arrested by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office after selling copper wire that was city property to a Chalmette scrap dealer, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Also, Pohlmann said a probe shows at least three city employees, including the two arrested Friday, May 6, and a third Public Works Department employee, have received at least $52,000 in the last two years by selling property at the same scrap yard, based on records at the business, W.B. Scrap at 5000 Paris Road.

In virtually every instance, the employees selling property arrived at the scrap yard in trucks that said New Orleans Department of Public Works.
Pohlmann said, “We have made a significant arrest and found evidence of theft of property from the City of New Orleans by city employees and have information several employees received a lot of money selling items at this scrap dealer over a period of time.’’ He added, “This investigation is continuing into how much identifiable city property was sold at the dealer. Other arrests are possible.’’

Pohlmann estimated the actual value of property known to have been sold by city employees is in excess of $100,000 because scrap yards typically pay out only a fraction of the original value of materials they buy. For example, the two who sold $2,000 of copper wire in a roll on May 6 received $500 in cash for 457 pounds, Pohlmann said.

The two city workers arrested were Delbert Surtain, 39, and Richard Thompson, 34, both of New Orleans, who work for the Public Works’ Lights and Signs Division. They were booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison on one count each of possession of stolen property. Thompson is being held in lieu of $12,000 bail while Surtain has been released on bond. The amount wasn’t available.

Both Surtain and Thompson were suspended from their jobs after their arrests, city officials told the Sheriff’s Office. New Orleans police were alerted to the theft of the copper wire and that possibility a large amount of property has been stolen since 2009, Pohlmann said.

A supervisor from Public Works identified the copper wire that was sold, a roll of 13 conductor wire, as belonging to the city and said no one had permission to take it from the city’s yard at 2832 Lafitte Street. He estimated the real value of the material at $2,000. The Public Works Department will be able to see photos at W.B. Scrap of property sold there since 2009 by the three city employees involved to determine if it was all city-owned, Pohlmann said.

If other property of the city is identified, arrest warrants for possession of stolen property would be sought for the individuals who sold it, Pohlmann said.

Records at the business show Surtain has received $15,000 for wire and other property he sold at W.B. There was no indication Thompson had sold items there before May 6, Pohlmann said.

But he said company records also showed a third Public Works employee, whose name isn’t being revealed at this time, received about $37,000 for property sold there since 2009.

Pohlmann said a man who happened to be at the W.B. scrap yard May 6 and thought it odd a City of New Orleans vehicle was there bringing a new roll of copper wire being sold as scrap and he called the Sheriff’s Office about it.

Deputy Sheriff Gary Noriea was dispatched and found the suspects in a city truck and had just left the scrap yard. He questioned the two workers, who said the copper had been left over from a job and that they had permission to take it. They declined to answer some questions and when they were brought back to the scrap dealer it was found Surtain had sold property there before and a third city employee also had.

They were arrested after the supervisor arrived and said no had permission to remove city property.

David Roig, 30 arrested in robbery and beating of Arabi man he knew.

May 9, 2011 - A 30-year-old Slidell man has surrendered to the Sheriff’s Office on a warrant alleging he robbed and beat an Arabi man he knew after luring him from an apartment on March 25, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

David Roig, a St. Bernard native who has served time in prison, surrendered Friday night, May 6, to Sheriff’s Detective Capt. Mark Jackson.

Roig was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison and is being held on a $40,000 bond and a probation hold, meaning he can’t be released. He is booked with armed robbery and second-degree battery.

A warrant signed by a judge alleged Roig and an unknown accomplice robbed the 52-year-old victim in front of the man’s home in mid-afternoon after calling him and asking him to meet at a location in New Orleans, Pohlmann said.

The victim said that as he got into his truck parked near his apartment on Angela Street in Arabi he was approached by two men who laid in wait for him, both wearing masks. He said he could recognize Roig as one of the men and that Roig struck him in the head with a pistol. A large amount of money was stolen from him, he reported. The other man hasn’t been identified.

The victim, who didn’t require medical treatment, said he tried to follow the men as they drove away in a vehicle but lost them as they went into New Orleans.

Roig contacted Det. Jackson on May 6 after learning of the arrest warrant and they later met for Roig to surrender.

In an unrelated case, a 17-year-old male from Violet has been booked with indecent behavior with a juvenile girl, Pohlmann said.

Keith McKinnis, 3219 Daniel Drive, allegedly touched the juvenile inappropriately on April 29 while she was visiting a relative of McKinnis.

The girl’s father called the Sheriff’s Office after learning of the alleged incident.

McKinnis was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison. No bond information was available.

Kiyon Jefferson, 35, of Arabi, booked with manufacture of crack cocaine.

May 9, 2011 - In a significant narcotics seizure, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office has found nine ounces of crack cocaine worth $26,000 in a search of an Arabi house and one man was arrested for its manufacture, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Kiyon Jefferson, 35, 104 Livingston Ave., was arrested in the recent search of his residence. It was the largest seizure of crack in St. Bernard in more than two years.

Agents of the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division, commanded by Col Chad Clark, searched the home after a judge issued a warrant based on allegations of drug activity.

Jefferson was booked into St. Bernard Parish Prison on charges of manufacture of crack cocaine, possession of more than 200 grams of crack cocaine, possession of a small amount of marijuana and with possession of drug paraphernalia. Some cash was also recovered in the search, along with ingredients for making crack cocaine.

Jefferson is jailed in lieu of bond set at $60,000.

Serving the search warrant, Agents Jason Saltalmachia and Tommy Duplessis found in a bedroom closet a paper bag containing eight clear plastic bags each having a rock-like substance that tested positive for cocaine, a digital scale for weighing and plastic bags for selling the crack. In a bathroom they found 10 individually packaged rock-like substances that were crack.

The total weight was more than nine ounces and would be worth $26,000 in street sales, Pohlmann said.

Anyone who suspects drug activity in St. Bernard Parish, should contact the Sheriff’s Office by either calling, e-mailing or text messaging. The drug hotline is (504) 271-DOPE or e-mail to sbsonarcotics@sbso.org. Also, text messages can be sent to the Sheriff’s Office at 274637, with the word CRIMES in parentheses after the number. For instance, 274637 (CRIMES) and in the subject box it should say SBSOTIPS.

Below left, Polly Campbell, one of the leaders of the Curb Appeal project to beautify St. Bernard roadways, and Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann, who announced an anti-litter grant for the Sheriff’s Office to use prisoner crews to pick up trash, discuss the new program on the first day prison crews were out, working along both sides of Paris Road on May 4. Corrections Officer Dep. Sheriff James Harper is in the background overseeing the inmates on the north-bound side of the highway. Above left, Corrections Officer Dep. Sheriff Glyn Bartholomew oversees a second group of prison trusties working the south-bound side of Paris Road. Above right, a crew works its way south-bound.  STEVE CANNIZARO PHOTOS.

May 4, 2011 - St. Bernard Parish’s Sheriff’s Office has received an anti-litter grant from the group Keep Louisiana Beautiful, which will fund using prisoner work crews to clean roadways and extra deputy patrols to look for people throwing litter or illegal dumping, Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Also, the department will team up with the St. Bernard Curb Appeal initiative involving the St. Bernard Parks and Recreation Commission to clean thoroughfares and promote beautification projects.

As part of the effort, all sheriff’s buildings will soon have free litter bags for the public to pick up and use in their vehicles to place trash until they can properly dispose of it, Pohlmann said. 
Keep Louisiana Beautiful, a nonprofit group affiliated with a national organization, focuses on public awareness, education and community involvement, targeting litter's costly effects and ultimately trying to change people’s attitudes about carelessly littering. They are also using a statewide media campaign reinforcing the message that litter is no longer tolerated.
Pohlmann said, “Sometimes people have a Mardi Gras parade mentality where it’s okay with them to drop food wrappers or drink cans on streets and sidewalks because they think someone from the government will be coming along to pick up after them.

“In reality, except for after Mardi Gras parades there isn’t anyone coming along to pick up litter carelessly dropped or thrown from  vehicles.’’

Also, Pohlmann said, “I know sometimes people who are rushing around in work trucks place trash left from take-out food in their truck beds or have construction items there which blow out onto streets without them intentionally trying to litter.”

Giving out trash bags to put in vehicles could help with that problem, he said.

Pohlmann said when trash lines roadways it gives an impression no one cares what their parish looks like and detracts from the overall quality of life. “Everyone suffers for the actions of what may be just some repeat offenders.’’

Prisoner crews made up of trusties have been working in the local Curb Appeal effort but the anti-litter grant will provide funds for corrections officers to put extra crews out, he said. And patrol deputies will be used to concentrate on looking for litterers or those illegally dumping. Anyone who sees someone illegally dumping should call the Sheriff’s Office at 271-2501 and get a description of the vehicle and license number if possible.

Polly Campbell, former St. Bernard Council member and Clerk of Council, and Justice of the Peace Howard Luna, who heads the Parks and Recreation Commission, have been spearheading the Curb Appeal initiative.

“It’s an effort to clean major thoroughfares and promote beautification of property,’’ Campbell said. About $15,000 of trees have been planted she said.

“We’ve tried to encourage businesses to participate voluntarily by cleaning up, landscaping and refreshing store fronts.’’

The group has used St. Bernard trusty prisoners for tree-planting and keeping up with the watering, she said

“There’s no way we could have gotten done what has been done without them,’’ Campbell said.

The grant will be useful in putting prisoners to work in the anti-litter effort, she said.

“We have a litter problem in the parish,’’ Campbell said. “I have witnessed young people throwing their trash out of car windows in parking lots and drive-through lanes of restaurants.’’

“We hope to be able to do something about it.’’