LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / September 21, 1998

RESERVE – Another alleged member of the “criminal corporation” which reportedly dominated drug dealing in St. John the Baptist Parish wasrounded up this week.

Thaddeus Jackson, 19, 125 Northwest 12th St., Reserve, was arrestedThursday and charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Back on July 9 St. John Parish narcotics detectives rounded up four”corporate officers” of the Dutch Bayou drug organization, allegedly responsible for 90 percent of marijuana distribution in St. John Parish.This is the first time racketeering charges have been brought in St. JohnParish, Lt. Troy Hidalgo of the St. John Sheriff’s Office said, and the firsttime in Louisiana indictments were presented on a new money-laundering statute.

If convicted, the maximum penalty for racketeering is a $1 million fine and/or 50 years in prison. For money-laundering, the penalty is a maximumfine of $50,000 and a range of 5 to 99 years in prison.

This stemmed from a two-year investigation which climaxed in the predawn raid on 119 and 125 Northwest 12th Street near Railroad Avenue, where seven arrests were made, including that of a 16-year-old male.

The following people were formally indicted July 31, along with Thaddeus Jackson, by the St. John Parish Grand Jury on charges of racketeering,conspiracy to commit racketeering and conspiracy to commit money- laundering: Clyde Richards, 27, 125 Northwest 12th St., also charged withpossession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Kendell Jackson, 24, 125 Northwest 12th St., also charged withpossession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Joyce Jackson Richards, 48, 125 Northwest 12th St., also charged withpossession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Patricia Jackson, 48, 125 Northwest 12th St., also charged withpossession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Denise Lipps, 24, 119 Northwest 12th St., possession of marijuana andpossession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Hidalgo said Clyde Richards and Kendell Jackson acted as the “president” and “chief executive officer” of the criminal organization, with the women acting as the “purchasing department.”Hidalgo added that the investigation, conducted in cooperation with U.S.postal inspectors, documented 14 overt acts of racketeering between Jan.

29, 1997 and July 9, 1998.

Much of the sales took place in the public and private schools in St. JohnParish. Upon questioning, most of the suspects picked up in the past twoyears claimed their source for the illegal substance was “Dutch Bayou,” the area of Reserve where the Richards/Jackson organization was headquartered.

That July 9 raid turned up six pounds of marijuana, two ounces of crack cocaine with a street value of $3,000, six pounds of marijuana with a street value of $7,200, several handguns and an AK-47 assault rifle.

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