Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre is asking for the public’s help in locating 16-year-old Makayla Kimberly of Raceland. She was last seen on April 1, 2026, at her residence. Her family noticed she was gone around 11 p.m.
Makayla Kimberly is described as 5’6” tall, weighing approximately 180 pounds with brown hair. She was last seen wearing a dark blue “Spider-man” pullover and black athletic shorts, and she is possibly wearing Crocs clogs. She is believed to have taken a light blue tie-dyed backpack with extra clothing. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808, or simply dial 911.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) course on April 28-30, 2026, at the LPSO Range Classroom, located at 3451 Highway 182 in Racleand.
This self-defense course designed for women will take place over three days. The class will begin at 6 p.m. and end around 9:30 p.m. each day. Participants must attend all three days. Course instruction will be provided by certified R.A.D. instructors from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The cost of the course is $10 to cover the cost of course materials and is non-refundable. Class size is limited, and advance registration is required. You can register and pay for the course online at www.LPSO.net/classes. The class registration deadline is Friday, April 24 at 11 a.m.
For more information, please contact Lucie Morvant at (985) 446-2367 or email LPSOacademy@lpso.net.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced two members of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office were recently recognized at a statewide award ceremony. Sergeant Todd Prevost and Deputy Wendy Plaisance were honored with Heart of Law Enforcement Awards, presented by the Beyond the Badge organization, in a ceremony in Baton Rouge. A total of 13 officers from nine agencies across the state were honored at the event on March 17, 2026.
On April 13, 2025, Deputy Plaisance encountered an elderly man without shoes who was pushing a bicycle with a flat tire and bags piled on the handlebars. She approached him and asked about his circumstances. The man, who identified himself as “Charlie,” said he was trying to make it back to his home state of Florida. Knowing the journey would be difficult without shoes, Deputy Plaisance accompanied Charlie to a local shoe store where she purchased him a new pair of tennis shoes and a bundle of socks.
Later that same day, without knowledge of Deputy Plaisance’s actions, Sergeant Prevost also encountered Charlie and learned of his plan to return to Florida. Sergeant Prevost, a former Bicycle Patrol supervisor, realized it would be impractical for Charlie to travel across three states on a bike. Sergeant Prevost decided to purchase a bus ticket for Charlie so that his journey would be safe and comfortable.
Sheriff Craig Webre said, “Our motto is to do whatever it takes to properly serve the public, and these two outstanding employees even went beyond that! I am incredibly proud of these deputies, their actions, and their deserved recognition.”
LPSO Major Cortrell Davis (2018), Lieutenant Keniyelle Frank (2022), and Deputies Michael Jenkins and Erica Plaisance (2024) previously received this award. Retired Major Elliot Day was also honored in 2024.
Beyond the Badge was incorporated in April of 2016 and is operated entirely by citizen volunteers and funded by corporate and private donations. Baton Rouge resident Linda Hull created the non-profit organization to recognize law enforcement officers for acts of kindness that go beyond their duties.
“At a time when there is so much negative attention directed toward law enforcement in general, I thought someone needed to honor all the officers who go beyond the call of duty,” said Hull. “We need to let the public know about their acts of kindness and generosity.”
Nominations of officers for Beyond the Badge’s Heart of Law Enforcement award can be made throughout the year. Members of the general public or law enforcement agencies can submit nominations online at BeyondTheBadgeLouisiana.org. Nominations are accepted until January 31 for acts performed during the previous calendar year.
The course will begin at 8 a.m. and end around 5 p.m. with a break for lunch. Those taking the course as a prerequisite to obtain the state concealed carry permit must stay for the entire course. Those wishing to attend simply for informational purposes can leave at any time. All participants must bring a handgun in good working condition, 50 rounds of ammunition, eye protection (sunglasses or eyeglasses are sufficient), and ear protection (muffs or plugs).
The course is free, but online registration is required in advance due to the limited class size. Go to LPSO.net/classes to register for this course online. For more information, contact Captain John Champagne at (985) 449-4481 or by email at john-champagne@lpso.net.
ABOUT CONCEALED CARRY IN LOUISIANA:
Louisiana law allows persons age 18 or older to carry a firearm concealed within the state without obtaining a permit or training. The law only applies to those not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm by any state or federal law. The law also only applies within the state of Louisiana and is not reciprocal to other states. To carry concealed in those states with existing reciprocity laws, you must still obtain a concealed carry permit from the State of Louisiana.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a Raceland man for attempted murder. Amos Washington, 41, was arrested on Sunday.
Just after 3:30 p.m. on March 1, 2026, deputies responded to Morristown Road in Raceland. Washington was arguing with another man when he armed himself with a handgun and fired two shots in the other man’s direction. The other man was not struck, but he retreated inside his residence. Washington left the scene.
Deputies located Washington a short time later, and he was placed under arrest. He was charged with attempted second degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bail is set at $300,000.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of an Alabama man for cybercrimes following a joint investigation with the FBI. Landen Westfall, 24, of Athens, Alabama, has been booked on charges including criminal assistance to suicide, indecent behavior with a juvenile, and child pornography.
The investigation began in late October 2025, when juvenile detectives learned of a teenage girl who had sent nude images of herself to Westfall and that he had also encouraged her to harm herself. The two initially interacted online while playing Roblox, an online virtual game that allows multiple players to chat during gameplay. This led to conversations on other platforms and eventually video calls, but Westfall reportedly became verbally abusive and threatening toward her. He allegedly coerced the victim into cutting herself, and he also encouraged her to take her own life on two occasions.
With the help of the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office and the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, investigators obtained evidence and a warrant for Westfall’s arrest. He was initially taken into custody on February 9, 2026, in Alabama. He was later transported to Lafourche Parish and booked into the Correctional Complex on two counts of criminal assistance to suicide, 261 counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, and 15 counts of pornography involving a juvenile. Bail is set at $750,000.
Sheriff Webre encourages parents to take an active role in the lives of their children, especially when it comes to online activity. “If you are going to allow your child to use the internet or games where they can interact with strangers, you must take an active role in monitoring their activity,” said Sheriff Webre. “Talk with your children about the dangers of online predators and be sure you have access to all their accounts, even games. You must also educate yourself on popular ways that children try to hide information, photos or video on devices. Having such access is not an invasion of your child’s privacy – it’s being a responsible parent.”
“Also remember that things created for kids – such as Roblox – can sometimes be exploited by predators,” said Sheriff Webre. “Just because something is ‘made for kids’ doesn’t mean you should blindly trust it.”
The FBI’s investigation is continuing, and federal charges are pending.
“Crime knows no boundaries, and neither should we. Through strong partnerships and seamless collaboration, we unite to protect our children online and provide our law enforcement partners with the technical expertise and tools necessary to safeguard every community,” said David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Birmingham. “Together, we are stronger, smarter, and more relentless in our pursuit of justice.”
For more information on the dangers of cybercrime, including tips for parents, please visit www.LPSO.net/Cybercrime.
Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) course on March 24-26, 2026, at the Larose-Cut Off Middle School, located at 13356 West Main Street in Larose.
This self-defense course, designed for women, will take place over three days. The class will begin at 6 p.m. and end around 9:30 p.m. each day. Participants must attend all three days. Course instruction will be provided by certified R.A.D. instructors from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The course costs $10 to cover course materials and is non-refundable. Class size is limited, and advance registration is required. You can register and pay for the course online at www.LPSO.net/classes. The class registration deadline is March 20, 2026, at 6 p.m.
For more information, please contact Lucie Morvant at (985) 446-2367 or email LPSOacademy@lpso.net.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced an employee of a Lockport business has been arrested for embezzling over $100,000 from the company. Marcus Smith, 50, of New Orleans, is charged with multiple counts of felony theft.
Last week, the owner of a Lockport business met with detectives after finding an employee had stolen thousands of dollars. The investigation revealed Smith had authorized 28 payments to himself dating back to 2023, coinciding with a monthly payment from an outside company. Of those, 27 of the checks were for amounts over $1,000. The total of all 28 checks was over $100,000. When confronted by the owner, the employee apologized for his actions and claimed he would pay back the money, but he never did. Following the investigation, detectives obtained a warrant for Smith’s arrest.
On February 11, 2026, Smith was arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was charged with 27 counts of felony theft and one count of misdemeanor theft. Bail is set at $405,000.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a Galliano man for sex crimes involving two female victims. Davery Gaspard, 39, faces several charges following the investigation.
On February 3, 2026, detectives began investigating allegations of rape involving Gaspard. The investigation uncovered evidence of an incident that had occurred in 2025 in which Gaspard had forceful sexual contact with a woman against her will. During the course of the investigation, detectives discovered a second woman who was a victim of sexual battery by Gaspard, including one incident in which he held her against her will. Following the investigation, detectives obtained a warrant for Gaspard’s arrest.
Gaspard was arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex. He was charged with third degree rape, three counts of sexual battery, and false imprisonment. Bail is set at $330,000.
Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a Golden Meadow man found to be mailing fraudulent checks around the country. Clint Cheramie, 48, is charged with multiple counts of monetary instrument abuse.
In January 2026, detectives opened an investigation after a local business received several envelopes marked as returned to sender. The envelopes contained checks made out to people from several states, made from company and personal accounts. Further investigation revealed dozens of such checks were mailed from a local post office. Investigators traced 22 of those back to Cheramie with fraudulent checks totaling over $80,000. Detectives then obtained a search warrant for Cheramie’s residence. On February 5, 2026, detectives conducted a search at Cheramie’s home and found dozens of additional fake checks and envelopes labeled and prepared to be mailed out, totaling nearly $200,000. They also found materials and tools used for printing and mailing the fake checks and labels.
Cheramie was arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was charged with 22 counts of monetary instrument abuse. Bail is set at $220,000.
