On Friday, January 31, 2025, Louisiana State Police (LSP) Troopers, with the assistance of many other law enforcement personnel from various agencies, executed numerous search warrants and arrested several subjects in Claiborne Parish during an early morning enforcement operation. S.W.A.T. teams of the LSP, the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Bossier City Police Department executed search warrants at locations that had been deemed as ones with significant risk for resistance by their occupants. Other law enforcement personnel, as LSP and United States Homeland Security Investigations helicopters provided air support, made arrests throughout Claiborne Parish and in other jurisdictions. The arrests and searches were a result of a months-long investigation of a Drug Trafficking Organization that was based in Claiborne Parish.
In May of 2024, LSP Narcotics Agents, in conjunction with the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO), began an investigation into identified drug traffickers who operated both inside and beyond Claiborne Parish. Law enforcement personnel determined that most of those identified were not acting independently but were instead members of Drug Trafficking Organization, an enterprise designed to profit from the sales of illegal drugs.
Narcotics Agents, during their investigation, seized thousands of grams of illegal drugs intended to have been distributed throughout the region. During the Friday searches, Agents seized over twenty (20) grams of Crack Cocaine, over eight (8) pounds of Marijuana, over one (1) pound of Methamphetamine, seven (7) illegally possessed firearms, and United States Currency.
Sheriff Sam Dowies made a commitment to Claiborne Parish residents that he and his deputies would work to identify, to arrest, and to hold accountable criminals who chose to operate in Claiborne Parish. Though Sheriff Dowies recognizes that the successful investigation of the Drug Trafficking Organization was due to the outstanding efforts of LSP’s Narcotic Agents, his and his investigators’ support of it contributed significantly- Sheriff Dowies is a proponent of the concept that law enforcement personnel must always work together to combat the criminal element. Sheriff Dowies knows Illegal drug activity in Claiborne Parish, as in most other areas, is connected to many other crimes, especially violent ones, and that illegal drug use contributes greatly to the many social issues that plague our society.
One of the subjects arrested during Friday’s operation shot at members of a S.W.A.T. team. Fortunately, due to the professionalism and expertise of those S.W.A.T operators, no one was harmed. Another subject barricaded himself inside a house but, apparently due to the overwhelming police presence, chose to peacefully surrender after some dialogue with police. Sheriff Dowies commends LSP Colonel Robert Hodges, Lincoln Parish Sheriff Stephen Williams, Ouachita Parish Sheriff Marc Mashaw, and Bossier City Chief of Police Daniel Haugen for ensuring that their respective S.W.A.T. teams are equipped with most state-of-the-art safety equipment and receive the highest level of training possible.
The success of Friday’s operation was the result of collaboration by personnel from different sections of LSP, many agencies, and the S.W.A.T. teams. All personnel, including arrest teams, search teams, uniformed Troopers and Deputy Sheriffs, Corrections Officers from Both David Wade Correctional Center and the Claiborne Parish Detention Center, and CPSO Communications Officers were integral to that success. Law Enforcement personnel worked efficiently and professionally while conducting the arrests and searches; no injuries were reported during the operation.
Sheriff Dowies believes the investigation of the Drug Trafficikng Organization is an example of how local, state, and federal law enforcement can work together to achieve results that those agencies, working independently, could not. In addition to the great efforts by LSP’s Narcotics Agents, supported by personnel from other LSP sections, and CPSO Deputies, Sheriff Dowies recognizes that personnel from many other agencies provided key support during the duration of the investigation, including:
Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Columbia County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Minden Police Department, Ruston Police Department, David Wade Correctional Center, Arkansas State Police, United States Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Marshals Service, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
The following have been arrested:
Georgerick Coleman of Homer –Racketeering Activity and for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana.
Rontrell Sturdivant of Haynesville - Racketeering Activity
Demontre Robinson of Haynesville - Racketeering Activity
Richard Jones, Sr. of Haynesville - Racketeering Activity, Distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS)
Dexter Washington of Haynesville - Racketeering Activity, Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Dedarian Robinson of Haynesville - Racketeering Activity
Alonzo Jackson of Haynesville - Racketeering Activity
Demond Maddox of Homer - Racketeering Activity, Distribution of a Schedule II CDS, Conspiracy to distribute CDS, Attempted obstruction of justice
Ashley Morgan of Haynesville- Principal to Distribution of a Schedule II CDS
John Michael Jackson of Haynesville – Attempted first degree murder, Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Nicholas Willis of Haynesville- Racketeering Activity
Derrick Bradford of Jonesboro, Louisiana- Racketeering, Possession of a firearm in the presence of CDS, Possession with intent to distribute CDS
Fernado Grider of Haynesville- Distribution of Schecdule I CDS, Distribution of Schedule II CDS
Falante Hill of Haynesville- Distribution of Schedule II CDS, Possession of Schedule II CDS, Possession of drug paraphernalia
Jaimie Rocket of Emmerson, Arkansas- Distribution of Schedule II CDS
Cheryl Bragg of Haynesville- Racketeering Activity
Jesse Thomas of Haynesville- Racketeering Activity
Yul Antwuan McGee of Haynesville - Distribution of a Schedule II CDS, Distribution of a Schedule I CDS
The investigation of the Drug Trafficking Organization remains ongoing. Further arrests, additional charges, and more seizures are imminent.
Sheriff Dowies urges anyone with information about this organization, any other illegal drug related activity, or any other criminal activity to contact Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office at (318) 927-2011, or via its website at www.claibornesheriff.org, or the Louisiana State Police at (318) 741-7411, or via its website at lsp.org.
Sheriff Dowies instills in his deputies the concept that the CPSO works for and serves the citizens of Claiborne Parish. Sheriff Dowies is grateful to serve a Parish whose citizens provide invaluable information and assistance that helps keep our communities safe.
All subjects are presumed innocent until convicted by a court of law.
