Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a suspected drug trafficker on Wednesday, April 10. Narcotics agents found Justin Monley, 25, of McComb, Mississippi with drugs and several firearms during a traffic stop.

Narcotics agents were conducting an investigation into Justin Monley allegedly trafficking narcotics from Mississippi to the South Lafourche area. On April 10, 2019, agents found Monley to be driving a car south on LA Highway 308 in Lockport. Agents observed Monley’s car to have what appeared to be illegal tint, and his vehicle was crossing the center line. Agents conducted a traffic stop and found Monley to be the only person in the vehicle. They also detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Agents asked Monley to step out of the vehicle, and as he did, they noticed a bag of suspected marijuana near the driver’s seat.

Agents asked Monley if he had anything illegal inside the vehicle, and he told them he had a marijuana cigar inside the center console. During a search of the vehicle, agents discovered approximately 1.3 pounds of suspected marijuana, 13.4 grams of suspected crack cocaine, and 3.4 grams of suspected cocaine. The total street value of the seized narcotics is approximately $7,760. During the search, agents additionally located $1,000 in cash, a semi-automatic rifle, a revolver, and two semi-automatic handguns. One of the semi-automatic handguns was found to be stolen out of Lafayette, Louisiana. Agents also discovered Monley had prior felony criminal convictions.

Monley was arrested and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine, Cocaine, and Marijuana, as well as Illegal Carrying of a Weapon in the Presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, illegal tint, and improper lane usage. His bail is set at $31,500.

Sheriff Craig Webre is reminding residents that the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct checkpoints on April 5, 2019 in Lafourche Parish. A seat belt checkpoint will be conducted during the evening hours of Friday, April 5, followed by a DWI checkpoint which will continue into the early morning hours Saturday, April 6.

During the seat belt checkpoint, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as for proper inspection tags and other potential violations. During the DWI checkpoint, deputies will be looking for drivers who are possibly impaired while checking for other traffic safety issues. These checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make the highways of the parish safer for all motorists.

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 on the 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.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced the arrest of a Cut Off Man who allegedly stole thousands of dollars from a youth baseball league. Blaine Curole, 40, turned himself in Monday following an investigation into the matter.

Curole had served as president of the Larose-Cut Off Baseball League from 2015 until 2017. During that time, Curole had opened a bank account for the league at a local bank branch, and he was reportedly the only person with access to the account. In December 2017, Curole turned over financial records to the board of directors. The board found several discrepancies including over $16,000 in debit card charges at various stores, restaurants, and gas stations, which was not the intended use of the account funds. There were also checks cashed for $3,600 with no explanation.

The board met with Curole in January 2018 and disclosed their findings. Curole admitted to using the account funds for personal use and requested the board give him the total amount he owed and time to pay it back. The board granted Curole’s request, asking him to repay the funds, but Curole did not comply. At that point, the board contacted the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office to pursue charges. As part of the investigation, detectives obtained a search warrant for the league bank account. Investigators found nearly $40,000 in discrepancies with the account during the time Curole had access to it.

In March 2019, detectives made contact with Curole in an effort to speak to him about the charges and requested he bring in any receipts to validate the charges. After several days wherein Curole made no attempt to contact or meet with detectives, a warrant was obtained for his arrest.

On Monday, April 1, Curole turned himself in at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. He was booked on the warrant for one count of Felony Theft. He was subsequently released after posting $10,000 bail.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced three people have been arrested in connection to a narcotics investigation. Troy Vicknair Sr., 53, and Jenny Rauch, 64, both of Gray were arrested Tuesday along with Jacob Yzaguirre, 25, of Houma.

Through investigation, narcotics agents had obtained arrest warrants for Vicknair and Rauch for Distribution of Methamphetamine, as well as a search warrant for Vicknair’s residence. On Tuesday, March 26, agents made contact with Vicknair on a traffic stop and took him into custody. Agents proceeded to Vicknair’s residence where they made contact with Rauch and Yzaguirre. During a search of the residence, agents discovered approximately 36 grams of suspected methamphetamine, four grams of suspected marijuana, 17 prescription pills, and drug paraphernalia, with varying amounts belonging to each individual. All three were placed under arrest and transported to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux.

Vicknair and Rauch were each booked on the aforementioned warrants for Distribution of Methamphetamine, and they were each charged with Possession of Legend Drugs without a Prescription and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Rauch was additionally charged with Possession of Methamphetamine, and her bail is set at $27,500. Vicknair was additionally charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance. His bail is set at $40,900.

Yzaguirre was charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bail is set at $20,500, but he is also being held for Terrebonne Parish due to warrants for Monetary Instrument Abuse and Contempt of Court.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced deputies are seeking to identify a person of interest in a burglary investigation. The burglary occurred at a boat storage facility in Galliano.

On the morning of March 20, 2019, deputies responded to a boat storage facility in Galliano in reference to a burglary. Deputies learned a person or persons had broken into several boat sheds. Deputies are still working to determine what items were stolen during the burglary.

Upon reviewing surveillance photos, deputies identified a person of interest in the case who was seen on the grounds earlier in the day on the date of the incident. The man was traveling on a bicycle with a basket mounted to the front.

Anyone who may be able to identify the person of interest, or anyone with any 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.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre and Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon announced a 16-year-old male juvenile from Thibodaux has been charged in connection to a threat made regarding Assumption High School. The threat was deemed to not be credible.

At around 11:35 a.m. on Thursday, March 21, the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from Assumption High School regarding a possible threat. Several students had shown a social media post which suggested someone was allegedly planning to “shoot up Assumption High School tomorrow.” The threat was contained in a screenshot of what appeared to be a text message conversation, but investigators later learned it was orchestrated by the 16-year-old acting alone. The teen then posted the screenshot of the fake text message conversation to Snapchat. The screenshot was then circulated on other social media outlets.

On Thursday afternoon, detectives with Lafourche and Assumption Parishes worked to identify the teen suspect. Detectives questioned him, and he admitted to his role in the incident. He was charged with False Communication with the Intent to Cause an Emergency Response (R.S. 14:126.1.1) and placed into the Lafourche Parish Juvenile Justice Facility in Thibodaux.

Investigators do not believe there is any credible or imminent threat to Assumption High School, and school resumed as normal on Friday, March 22. Additional law enforcement officers were assigned to Assumption High School on Friday out of an abundance of caution.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced deputies are investigating a theft at a parish pumping station in Thibodaux.

On the morning of March 18, 2019, deputies responded to Sunoco Street off LA Highway 309 in Thibodaux in reference to several pieces of metal grating which had been taken from the Morvant Pump Station. The theft is believed to have occurred at some time between 3 p.m. on March 16 and noon on March 17. This parish property is worth several hundred dollars.

Anyone with any information 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.