Coroner 'Frustrated' At Ongoing Problem "Frustrated" is the word Coroner Bryan Bertucci uses to describe his feelings about the continuing high number of drug overdose deaths in St. Bernard Parish, most of which are from mixing prescription pills. Little has changed despite two years of publicity about the more than 100 overdose deaths the parish has had since 2001 and efforts by the Sheriff's Office to crack down on illegal pill distribution. Records for 2004 show there were 36 such overdose deaths, down one from the 37 in 2003. Of the latest number, 25 were men and 11 were women. There were an estimated 40 deaths in 2002. There's no estimate on the number of people who have overdosed in recent years but survived after being brought to hospitals, Bertucci said. [continues 599 words]
Murder Charges May Apply After Fatalities In light of surging prescription-drug overdose deaths in St. Bernard Parish and the arrest last week of a couple accused of supplying drugs that killed an 18-year-old woman, Sheriff Jack Stephens said his office will make a greater effort to pursue murder charges in cases in which people may have died from illegally dispensed drugs. "Whenever we have an overdose death, we will take a hard look to see where they got the substance," Stephens said Tuesday. "If we can make a case, we'll do it." [continues 586 words]
Empire Discovery Was Likely Dumped A trawler in the waters off Empire hauled in a major catch early Friday: about 65 pounds of cocaine, worth at least $2 million on the street, authorities said. Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Jiff Hingle said it is the largest haul of cocaine in the parish he can recall. The discovery, made in the Bastain Bay area off Empire on the west bank of Plaquemines, is believed to be part of more than 1,000 pounds of the drug that has shown up along the Gulf coast since May. Federal authorities said tests have been inconclusive on whether all the cocaine recovered is from the same shipment. [continues 259 words]
Current Carries Bales Along Gulf Coast Nearly four pounds of cocaine, worth up to $10,000 a pound, washed up at two places on the west bank of Plaquemines Parish in recent weeks, adding to the more than 1,000 pounds that has shown up along the Gulf Coast since May, federal and state authorities said. Several south Louisiana parishes have found cocaine that has washed ashore, and 80 pounds of the narcotic was discovered over the weekend at Navarre Beach in Florida, officials of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. [continues 210 words]
Nonviolent Addicts To Get 2nd Chance Facing a stiff prison sentence for a heroin arrest, Melonie Cook, 18, of Meraux has gotten a second chance: to avoid jail and to kick her addiction. With the encouragement of her grandmother, Darlene Cook, who has raised her since she was a baby, the teenager on Thursday became the first person to enter St. Bernard Parish's new drug court program, pleading guilty to heroin distribution and possession. The idea behind the program, financed by the state Supreme Court, is to give addicted criminals who don't have a history of violence a chance for treatment and close supervision rather than send them to prison. [continues 527 words]
Problem 'Out Of Control,' He Says Saying the parish has a "methadone problem that is out of control," St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens said Wednesday he hopes the arrest of 12 people and confiscation of more than 200 methadone tablets this week will put a dent in the illegal distribution of the prescription drug, which can be deadly when taken with other drugs. More than 700 doses of prescription drugs worth about $6,800, including methadone, Xanbar, Vicodin and Percocet, were seized from a bedroom safe in a Chalmette home where four people were arrested Monday night, authorities said. Three of the people in the house, along with a fourth person arrested elsewhere Monday night, have been booked with possession with intent to distribute the pills. [continues 695 words]
St. Bernard Corrections Officer Facing Drug Charge, Officials Say A St. Bernard Parish corrections officer was being held in her own prison Wednesday night after being booked with possessing small amounts of crack and powdered cocaine, as well as possession of stolen property taken in a New Orleans home burglary Tuesday. Alicia Cruz, 27, 6610 Dauphine St., Arabi, was fired from the job she has held for two years with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office. She will go before a judge today to have bond set, said Maj. Richard Baumy of the Sheriff's Office. [continues 332 words]
Take from Florida case may pay for police cars in St. Bernard St. Bernard Parish Sheriff Jack Stephens said his department has received about $488,000 from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as its 1 percent share of assets forfeited by a Florida drug smuggler because of work done on the case by Maj. Forrest Bethay of the Sheriff's Office. "We're pleased. It's a great windfall" that will be used to buy police cars and surveillance equipment for narcotics officers and to pay for certain insurance premiums, Stephens said. [continues 109 words]
Judge Also Refuses To Reduce Bonds A state judge ruled Tuesday that there is probable cause to hold on second-degree murder charges a married couple accused of supplying drugs that allegedly killed an 18-year-old woman last month. Keli Robin Nunez, 20, and her husband, Wilfred "Billy" Nunez, 51, both of 2836 Kenilworth Drive in eastern St. Bernard Parish, were booked June 19 with second-degree murder. Each is being held in Parish Prison in lieu of $1 million bond, authorities said. [continues 446 words]
Murder Charges May Apply After Fatalities In light of surging prescription-drug overdose deaths in St. Bernard Parish and the arrest last week of a couple accused of supplying drugs that killed an 18-year-old woman, Sheriff Jack Stephens said his office will make a greater effort to pursue murder charges in cases in which people may have died from illegally dispensed drugs. "Whenever we have an overdose death, we will take a hard look to see where they got the substance," Stephens said Tuesday. "If we can make a case, we'll do it." [continues 590 words]
