Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office

radKIDS Defense Courses Scheduled for June and July 2017

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host radKIDS® Defense Courses for children in Thibodaux, Raceland and Cut Off this summer. These courses are designed for children 5 to 12 years of age and provide hands-on techniques giving children the tools they need to identify, avoid and if necessary, respond to danger. This is the 19th year the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office has offered these courses. Here is the schedule for the summer courses:

LPSO Range Facility
3451 Highway 182, Raceland
Tuesday, June 20 through Friday, June 23
Deadline to Register: Friday, June 16

The Learning Center at Lady of the Sea Hospital
200 West 134th Place, Cut Off
Tuesday, July 11 through Friday, July 14
Deadline to Register: Friday, July 7

LPSO Law Enforcement Complex
1300 Lynn Street, Thibodaux
Tuesday, July 18 through Friday, July 21
Deadline to Register: Friday, July 14

Times:

Children ages 5-7 attend daily morning sessions from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and an afternoon session is held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for children ages 8-12. Parents can elect to drop their child(ren) off or stay for the two-hour program each day. Children are urged to wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes.

Cost is $10 per child (for course materials).
Class size is limited, so advance registration is required.

To register, please download and complete the
REGISTRATION FORM.
Send completed form and $10 check (made payable to Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office) to:
Sergeant Carla Landry
P.O. Box 5608
Thibodaux, LA 70302

For more information, contact Sergeant Carla Landry at
(985) 449-4441 or carla-landry@lpso.net.

“RAD” stands for “Resist Aggression Defensively.” Through radKIDS® training, children become empowered and learn to replace fear, confusion, and panic in dangerous situations with confidence, personal safety skills, and self-esteem. It is an educational opportunity for children to learn personal safety strategies as they will receive special training in school safety, 911 calls, and general awareness. On the final day, they get to “fight off” an aggressor. The courses are taught by deputies of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office certified to instruct the children in self-defense and awareness of possible dangerous situations.

Thibodaux Woman and Inmate Charged after Contraband Found on Jail Property

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced investigators have charged a woman and a male inmate for introducing contraband into the jail property. Inmate Philip Green (age 26) of Thibodaux and Deja Smith (age 19) of Thibodaux face charges stemming from the incident.

During the early morning hours of Sunday, April 30, correctional officers at the Lafourche Parish Detention Center noticed a broken exterior window on a cell block. Recognizing this as a means of possible contraband entering the jail, the officers conducted an exterior check of the facility and discovered a string extending from the broken window to a black sock which had become entangled in the razor wire on the perimeter fencing. Inside the sock, officers discovered several grams of suspected marijuana, smoking tobacco, and a disposable lighter.

Investigators developed Inmate Philip Green as the suspected inmate involved in trying to obtain the contraband, and they learned Deja Smith communicated with Inmate Green to arrange for the contraband drop-off. Investigators obtained warrants for both individuals in connection with the incident.

Green was already in jail facing charges of Possession of Hydrocodone, Illegal Carrying of a Weapon in the Presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Illegal Window Tint, and a parole violation. He will be additionally booked on warrants for Attempted Possession of Marijuana, Taking Contraband to a Penal Institution and Simple Criminal Damage to Property. He continues to be held without bond due to the parole violation.

Deputies made contact with Smith on Wednesday, May 3, at her residence. She was arrested on active warrants for Principal to Distribution of Marijuana and Taking Contraband to a Penal Institution. She was released Wednesday night after posting $10,000 bond.

This incident is still under investigation, and additional arrests are possible.

Beginner Handgun Course Scheduled for May 13

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will offer a Beginner Handgun Course on Saturday, May 13, at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Shooting Range located at 3451 Highway 182 in Raceland. This class is designed for first-time firearms owners and persons looking to learn basic fundamentals about firearm ownership. Class will begin at 8 a.m. and last until around noon. The actual ending time will vary due to class size.

This course will include the following:

Firearms handling and shooting safety
Firearms parts and their operation
Ammunition and its function
Shooting fundamentals and an opportunity to develop them on the range
How to select, clean, and store a firearm
Review of various activities available to help participants develop their shooting skills
One hour of live range fire with certified Range Safety instructor

The cost for the course is $50, and advance registration is suggested due to class size. CLICK HERE to register online, or for more information, contact Captain Lafate Day at (985) 449-4485 or by email at lafate-day@lpso.net. Participants will need to bring 50 rounds of ammunition, eye protection (sunglasses or eyeglasses are sufficient), and ear protection (muffs or plugs).

LA 308 Closed at Lafourche Crossing

TRAFFIC ALERT: LA 308 is CLOSED at Lafourche Crossing just south of Thibodaux due to high water. Detour to LA 1.

Detectives Investigating Burglary at Larose Service Station

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for a burglary at a Larose service station.

On the morning of Friday, April 28, deputies responded to a burglary at Jimmy’s Service Station, located at 13019 West Main Street in Larose. Investigators learned forced entry was made at a rear door, but there were two other areas where it appears someone attempted forced entry. Several items of value were stolen from the business.

The crime occurred overnight Thursday night or early Friday morning. Anyone who may have information on this crime is asked to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tips can also be submitted using the P3 Tips app on your mobile device. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.

Seat Belt Checkpoint Slated for Thursday, May 4

Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct a seat belt checkpoint during the daytime hours of Thursday, May 4 in Lafourche Parish. During the checkpoint, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as for proper inspection tags and insurance. These checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make the highways of the parish safer for all motorists.

Cut Off Man Charged with Sexual Battery and Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced Kenneth Bouffanie (age 50) of Cut Off has been charged with sexual battery and indecent behavior with a juvenile.

The Juvenile detectives opened an investigation on Sunday, April 21, after receiving the initial complaint. Through investigation, juvenile detectives learned Bouffanie allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with the victim on two occasions, and he had also exposed himself to the juvenile.

Bouffanie was already in jail having been arrested on April 21 on an outstanding warrant for Contempt of Court. Following an investigation, detectives obtained a warrant for two counts of Sexual Battery (Forcible Fondling) and Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile. He was booked on the additional charges on Sunday, April 30, and his bond is set at $70,000.

Due to the nature of this crime, no further details will be released.

Phone Scams: Educate Yourself and Avoid Becoming a Victim

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre urges residents to become familiar with signs of a phone scam to avoid becoming a victim. While phone scams are most common, these scams can also take other forms such as over email.

“As technology improves, con artists are finding it easier to initiate phone scams on unsuspecting individuals,” said Sheriff Webre. There are some steps you can take to ensure you don’t become a victim. It’s important to know the signs of a potential scam and share these with friends and family.”

Sheriff Webre offered these examples as signs of a probable scam:

You’re told to send money to receive money or prizes.
You’re told to send payment “immediately” via prepaid debit card or electronic money order for any reason.
The caller uses threatening, offensive, or vulgar language.
You receive a phone call from a “department,” but no company name is provided.

Scammers are always seeking new ways to con individuals out of money or to steal a person’s identifying information or account numbers. While there is no limit to how elaborate a particular scam may be, here are a few examples which seem to be most prevalent:

Your bank or service provider asking you for personal information over the phone.
Law enforcement agency asking you pay fines or send bail money for a relative.
Someone on behalf of the IRS threatening arrest if you don’t pay delinquent taxes.
Someone offering new Medicare or medical insurance cards who asks for current account numbers.
Someone offering a federal grant, but requests personal information or money.
Someone who overpays with a check who asks for the difference in return.

As soon as you recognize a possible scam, hang up the phone immediately. Do not attempt to engage the caller or threaten them. “You never know who you are dealing with on the other end of the line,” said Sheriff Webre. “If engaged or kept on the line, these scammers may threaten to come find you in your home, and in some cases, they may even know your address. It’s just a best practice to hang up and block a number of a known scammer.”

Smartphones have features which allow users to block individual numbers to prevent repeat phone calls. There are also several smartphone applications available to help identify or block incoming phone calls from known scammers. The Federal Trade Commission also provides the National Do Not Call List Registry (https://www.donotcall.gov/) where anyone can sign up any phone number to avoid telemarketing calls. The registration does not expire but only applies to the specific phone number registered. Keep in mind, however, this only affects telemarketers, and you may still receive legitimate phone calls from other organizations such as charities, political groups, debt collectors and for surveys.

If you ever receive a phone call which you believe may be legitimate, kindly ask for information from the caller such as the caller’s name and the company. Then search for the company on the Internet and find a contact number or email address. If the call was legitimate, it should be easy to determine by contacting the company at a known number or address. Remember to never give personal information to an incoming caller. If you have questions about the legitimacy of a check, simply call the bank to inquire about its validity.

If you lose money in scam or receive threats of physical harm or violence, you should report it to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office or your local law enforcement agency. If you believe a call may be legitimate but you have trouble validating the origin of the request, contact our agency to assist you to ensure you do not become the next scam victim.

Four Charged for Conspiring to Bring Drugs into Lafourche Jail

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced 4 individuals have been charged in a conspiracy to bring contraband, including narcotics, into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center. Inmate Decraig Young (age 27) and his wife, Janea Young (age 30), both of Thibodaux, have been charged in the investigation along with Inmate Ryan Harris (age 22) and his brother, Tyrese Davis (age 18), both of Napoleonville.

In early April, investigators received information that inmates had arranged for a delivery of illegal narcotics to be dropped off in a restroom in the front lobby at the jail. Investigators believe the inmates would arrange for a trustee to pick up the narcotics once they were dropped off. On April 7, 2017, investigators discovered two packages of contraband in the garbage can of the men’s restroom in the lobby. The packages contained 131 grams of smoking tobacco, 15 doses of MDMA, 9.5 grams of suspected synthetic marijuana, several packs of rolling papers, matches, and a lighter.

Investigators determined Inmates Decraig Young and Ryan Harris had arranged for Janea Young and Tyrese Davis to deliver the contraband during a visit to the jail to place money on the inmate’s accounts. Video surveillance showed Davis entered the facility on April 5 along with Janea Young who was accompanied by two juveniles. After a short time, Davis entered the men’s restroom and then emerges moments later. They gave correctional officers money to place on the inmates’ accounts and exited the facility.

Following an investigation, detectives obtained warrants for all four individuals for Conspiracy to Distribute Synthetic Marijuana and MDMA. They also obtained additional warrants for Inmates Harris and Young for three counts of Attempting to Take Contraband to a Penal Institution. Davis’ warrants included three counts of Taking Contraband to a Penal Institution. Janea Young’s warrants also included three counts of Taking Contraband to a Penal Institution, as well as two counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of Juveniles.

Janea Young was arrested at her residence on Monday, April 24. She was booked into the Detention Center and subsequently released Tuesday night after posting $20,000 bond. Davis turned himself in on Thursday, April 27. He was booked on the warrants and released Thursday afternoon after posting $15,000 bond.

Inmate Decraig Young has been incarcerated since February 27, 2017, and faces several charges stemming from a traffic stop by Thibodaux Police. He was booked on the new charges, and he continues to be held without bond due to a probation violation.

Inmate Harris has been incarcerated since February 2, 2016, due to his alleged involvement in the shooting incident during a Krewe of Shaka Parade. He faces a myriad of charges, including Attempted Second Degree Murder. He is to be booked on the additional charges from this case, and his bond is set to increase to a total of $580,000.

Seat Belt and DWI Checkpoints Slated for Thursday, April 27

Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct a seat belt checkpoint and a DWI checkpoint on Thursday, April 27 in Lafourche Parish. These checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make the highways of the parish safer for all motorists. The seat belt checkpoint will be conducted Thursday evening, and deputies will focus on checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations. A DWI checkpoint will begin Thursday evening and will continue into the early morning hours of Friday, April 28. During the DWI checkpoint, deputies will be looking for drivers who are possibly impaired while checking for other traffic safety issues.

Sheriff Webre reminds citizens to designate a driver if you are going to drink. Motorists suspected of DWI who refuse to submit to a breathalyzer test will lose their driver’s license for one year (first offense). For a second offense, the penalty increases to two years. Anyone convicted of a DWI offense while their driver’s license is suspended because of another DWI offense will face automatic prison time. Lafourche Parish is also a “No Refusal” parish, meaning if a suspected drunk driver refuses a breathalyzer test, deputies will seek a search warrant to have that person’s blood tested.