Cocaine arrests made in Mt. Airy
Published 12:00 am Thursday, July 21, 2005
By MOLLY DRYMAN
Staff Reporter
Mt. Airy — Six drug arrests were made on Friday afternoon, after a three-month investigation and neighborhood complaints.
A house on 257 Daffodil St. in Mt. Airy was used as a drug trafficking home.
“After several complaints from area residence, we executed a warrant,” said Lt. Troy Hidalgo with St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Department. “We found 46 grams of crack/cocaine, which is about $5,000 worth in street value, and $13,000 in cash from distribution of the crack/cocaine.”
Hidalgo said five arrests were made at the house of the resident Kerwin Belvin, 39, and others at the house, Deborah Burl, 44 of Mt. Airy, Linda Vallery, 34 of Convent, Kenneth White, 51 of Lutcher and Paul Victor, 32 of Gramercy.
The sixth arrest was made at the residence of Anita Vicknair, 35 of LaPlace for attempting to buy drug paraphernalia from the Mt. Airy residence.
“We seized all the money and the crack/cocaine,” Hidalgo said. “We also seized five vehicles that were purchase using the proceeds from the sales, and because the residence was also purchased with the proceeds we are looking to seize the property.”
Hidalgo said the Sheriff’s Office view this as mid-level distribution and plan to take out the huge list of customers they had come to the house and they home-delivered to.
“This was a very successful operation,” Hidalgo said. “There was extensive drug activity in this area and thanks to the help of the neighborhood we were able to investigate and help put a stop to this.”
Judge Sterling Snowdy set bonds for all six people, who are currently all being held at the Sherman-Walker Correctional Center in LaPlace. Belvin, Burl and White are on a $30,000 bond. Vallery and Victor on a $32,500 bond and Vicknair is on a $31,500 bond.