Arabi man sentenced to life in prison, plus 62 years, after conviction for aggravated rape of one juvenile boy and molestation of another; Was first major felony trial for new District Attorney Perry Nicosia

An Arabi man has been sentenced to life in prison, plus 62 years, after convictions of aggravated rape of a 10-year-old boy and molestation of a second boy in the first significant felony trial since new St. Bernard Parish District Attorney Perry Nicosia took office in November.

David Merwin, 34, was found guilty by a jury of aggravated rape of a juvenile, molestation of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile on March 27. Nicosia said.

The rape charge carried a mandatory sentence of life in prison, which District Judge Jeanne Nunez Juneau handed down to Merwin on April 10, plus 50 years on the molestation conviction and 12 more on a third conviction for indecent behavior with a juvenile.

The sentences are to be served consecutively.

Besides the rape of the 10-year-old, Merwin molested and engaged in indecent behavior with that boy’s brother, who was 7 years old.

The crimes occurred in August 2013 and Merwin was arrested by the Sheriff’s Office that November after the 10-year-old wrote a letter to his mother telling her what happened.

Nicosia, a former district judge, was elected district attorney in November on a platform that pledged he would have more jury trials in the parish and not be lenient with plea agreements. Nicosia said the last major jury trial in St. Bernard had occurred in early 2013.

He said there have been several smaller felony trials since he took office but the Merwin case is the first major one.

Nicosia said trials “will be the normal course for our office. We will have a zero tolerance policy for sexual predators and violent criminals.”

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Sheriff James Pohlmann and wife, Monique, to reign as King and Queen of the Irish, Italian, Islenos Community Parade in Chalmette on Sunday, April 12

Sheriff James Pohlmann and wife, Monique, will reign as King and Queen of the Irish, Italian, Islenos Community Parade in Chalmette on Sunday, April 12.

Their daughters, Victoria and Olivia, will serve as maids in the 14th annual parade which gets underway with a marching club at 11 a.m., followed at noon by about 50 floats and some 35 marching units and groups.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds of produce will fill the air, thrown and handed out by riders. This year’s theme is Let’s Geaux.

Club President Chad O’Neil said the parade “will be a community day to come out and celebrate St. Bernard.’’

The sheriff also reminds parade goers they can follow parade location updates on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, posted by a sheriff’s deputy inside the lead parade unit, the Sheriff’s Office mobile command post.

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Four N.O. and Slidell men arrested in theft and recovery of dirt bike in eastern St. Bernard; handgun and marijuana also found

Damian Sparks of Slidell, booked with felony theft, illegal carrying of a handgun and marijuana posession.

Xavier Porter of Slidell, booked with felony theft, illegal carrying of a handgun and marijuana possession.

An alert witness who reported seeing suspicious men walking at night led directly to the arrests of four New Orleans and Slidell men and recovery of a dirt bike they stole in eastern St. Bernard Parish, as well as the finding of a handgun and marijuana, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

There was no indication of why the four were on Deborah Drive, where they were arrested late the night of April 4 after a dirt bike was stolen at a residence.

A witness in the area reported seeing three men walking with the dirt bike, headed toward a parked jeep and said the bike resembled one owned by another near-by resident.

Responding sheriff’s deputies Joseph Warren and Matthew Spencer found a Jeep Cherokee being driven with no headlights on, with a driver, two passengers and a fourth man riding the dirt bike alongside the vehicle.
Asked about the bike, several said they had been riding dirt bikes all day in a trail in a wooded area, while one said he had gotten a call to come help one of them with a dirt bike that wouldn’t start and needed to be moved.

Deputies, while talking to the men, could smell an odor of marijuana coming from the jeep and asked its driver, Damian Sparks, 19, of Slidell, if officers could search the vehicle.

Sparks gave consent to a search and officers found two plastic bags containing marijuana and a plastic water bottle made into a smoking device in the vehicle. Continuing the search, a loaded revolver was also found. All subjects denied ownership of any of the seized items.

A woman who lived in the area later identified the dirt bike as stolen from near the front of her residence.

All four men were booked with felony theft of the dirt bike, including Sparks, Xavier Porter, 23, of Slidell, and two New Orleans men, Lorenzo Harvy, 17, and Malik Lewis, 18. All but Lewis, who had been spotted by deputies on the dirt bike, were also booked with illegal carrying of a weapon, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Lewis has been released from St. Bernard Parish Prison on $20,000 bond and Harvy was released on $25,000 bond. Porter and Sparks remain jailed in lieu of bonds set at $25,000 each.

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Eight sheriff’s deputies to appear tonight in an episode of the CBS TV show NCIS: New Orleans at 8 p.m., playing FBI SWAT team members

Eight St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies will appear tonight in an episode of the CBS TV show NCIS: New Orleans, playing FBI SWAT team members.

The show had sought local agencies to participate in the filming, which took place recently in Algiers.

Shown from left are Lt. Ray Whitfield, Lt. Stephen Ingargiola, Lt. Chip Englande, Sgt. Donald Johnson, Agent Byron Shoemaker, Capt. Ronnie Martin, Lt. Brent Bourgeois and Sgt. Daniel Bostic.

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St. Bernard deputies Dixie Dusang and James Manint graduate P.O.S.T. academy and Dusang received awards for class achievements

Two St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies were graduated April 1 from the Peace Officers Standards and Training, or P.O.S.T., basic police academy held at the Slidell Regional Training Academy and one received awards for class achievements, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Graduates from the Sheriff’s Office were deputies Dixie Dusang and James Manint, both of the Corrections Division.

Dusang was recognized for the highest P.O.S.T. score and and top academics.

Nineteen officers from several agencies were graduated in a ceremony.

The academy includes about 400 hours of training in basic police work including firearms use, criminal investigation, patrol procedures, writing reports, driving training, physical fitness and other areas.

Representing St. Bernard’s Sheriff’s Office at the ceremony were Chief Deputy Richard Baumy, Col. David Mowers, head of the Corrections Division; and Dep. Eric Eilers of the Community Relations Department.

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