Pubdate: Sat, 02 Feb 2002
Source: Advocate, The (LA)
Copyright: 2002 The Advocate, Capital City Press
Contact:  http://www.theadvocate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2
Author: Bob Anderson

MORE ARRESTS PENDING IN AREA DRUG CRACKDOWN

LIVINGSTON -- Tri-Parish Narcotics Task Force members searched Thursday for 
drug suspects who escaped a dragnet Wednesday.

In St. Helena Parish, however, Sheriff Ronald "Gun" Ficklin said Thursday 
he's just holding on to six drug warrants he'd hoped to serve in connection 
with Wednesday's roundup because he still has no room to house more prisoners.

Ficklin said late Thursday all cells in his jail, which holds 56 prisoners, 
were still full, as they had been before a statewide drug roundup began 
Wednesday morning.

He said he hopes to arrest the six people wanted on drug distribution 
counts as soon as "I can open up room" in the jail.

As a result of recent undercover operations by the Livingston Parish 
Sheriff's Office and the Tri-Parish Narcotics Task Force, authorities 
arrested four people on drug distribution charges Wednesday.

Officers continued Thursday to seek three other people wanted on drug 
distribution warrants, said Lt. Stan Carpenter, who heads the Livingston 
Parish sheriff's narcotics unit.

Tangipahoa Parish deputies said with the help of several other agencies, 
they arrested 13 people on drug counts Wednesday as a result of 
investigations by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office and the Tri Parish 
Narcotics Task Force.

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office returned to regular operations 
Thursday, said spokeswoman Patti Giannoble.

During January, Tangipahoa Parish deputies and Tri-Parish Narcotics Task 
Force members arrested 40 people on drug counts and seized 216 pounds of 
marijuana, 10 ounces of cocaine and 24 ounces of methamphetamine, she said.

The total street value of the drugs surpassed $245,000, Giannoble said.

St. Tammany Parish sheriff's deputies arrested five people on drug counts 
Wednesday morning as part of the roundup, spokesman James Hartman said.

Local authorities said the Sheriff's Association asked them to round up 
people on whom the local agencies had obtained drug warrants as part of 
Wednesday's statewide drug roundup called Operation Frostbite.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart