By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – St. John Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 29-year-old New Orleans man in possession of $90,000 worth of cocaine after a routine traffic stop over the weekend, according to a release from the bureau of narcotics.

Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Dane Clement said officers with the traffic division arrested Ellery Boyd, 4300 Jean Marie St., New Orleans, after the 2006 Nissan Maxima he was driving was seen exiting Interstate 10 at the Belle Terre off ramp at a high rate of speed.

A detailed search of Boyd’s vehicle by deputies and a narcotics detecting K-9 revealed that Boyd was in possession of one kilogram of cocaine.

Boyd was arrested on the scene and booked with possession of over 400 grams of cocaine. He was transported to the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility, where

he is being held on $80,000 bond.

Clement said Boyd is a career criminal who had 15 prior arrests, including several burglary charges, and one arrest for first-degree murder in Orleans Parish. This was Boyd’s first arrest for a drug related offense.