Leonard Gray / L’Observateur / May 20, 1998

LAPLACE – Narcotics detectives and Felony Intercept officers from the St. John Sheriff’s Office raided a residence Friday night and made two drug arrests.

Steven “Foots” Young, 37, 507-B Winnie Court, and his cousin, Nikki DiBartolo, 20, 12 Lincoln Court, were each charged with distribution of cocaine.

Young was also charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with a shooting incident May 12 where he and his brother, Dale, were allegedly involved in a shooting spree in Reserve. No one was injuredin that incident.

He was in jail Friday afternoon following a domestic disturbance with his girlfriend where, after a confrontation at 1 p.m., he allegedly slammed his1985 Ford pickup truck into her two cars and caused substantial damage.

For that incident, he was jailed on two counts each of simple criminal damage to property and aggravated criminal damage to property, along with a charge of disturbing the peace by cursing.

With Young in custody, narcotics officers conducted a raid, assisted by K- 9 officer, “Boy,” at DiBartolo’s residence where Young reportedly stashed drugs and drug money.

“Boy” quickly turned up two small safes, each containing a quantity of cash and one with four ounces of cocaine valued at $12,000. The cashtotaled $8,700.

Sheriff Wayne L. Jones commented, “He won’t get his $8,700 back, becausenow it’s mine!” Jones added of Young, “He’s a major dope dealer in the parish, a dangerous, bad character. This is one guy we need off the streets of St. John Parish.”Young was recently released from his second prison sentence for a drug conviction and had just returned to St. John Parish “to set up shop again,”Jones said.

The 9mm handgun Young allegedly used in the Reserve shooting incident was also recovered and will be compared to bullets found at the scene.

The sheriff added he would try and get Jones triple-billed to seek a maximum sentence of up to 60 years, if convicted.

Young is in the St. John Parish Jail on a $460,000 bond set by 40thJudicial District Judge Mary Hotard Becnel.

Return To News Stories