One-half pound of marijuana, two loaded handguns and $1,635 cash seized in a case with four men and a woman arrested; Separately, a man with one pound of marijuana, some cocaine

Orenthal Allen, 19, booked on marijuana and gun charges in St. Bernard Parish

The half-pound of marijuana, two guns, $1,635 cash and other items recovered in the arrest of Allen, three other males and a woman.

A total of 1.5 pounds of marijuana, two loaded handguns, $1,635 cash and 114 pills were seized in two recent cases in which a total of five men and one woman were arrested, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

The guns, two semi-automatics, were found June 17 when agents of the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division served a search warrant at 2209 Legend Drive, Meraux.

One gun and a large plastic bag containing 20 individual clear bags each containing marijuana totaling a half-pound worth $2,000 was found in the garage of the residence, the sheriff said.

Another handgun, a digital scale and marijuana residue, a glass jar containing a small amount of marijuana, $1,635 cash and bags for packaging the drugs were all found in the bedroom of a resident, Orenthal Allen, 19. Allen has a prior drug arrest and a burglary arrest in St. Bernard Parish. Allen and a woman resident of the house, Rolita Vigne, 37, were both booked with possession with intent to distribute the half-pound marijuana, possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance and with possession of drug paraphernalia. Allen was also booked with illegal possession of a firearm by someone under the age of 21.

Three other males inside the house, including a 16-year-old Violet boy whose name wasn’t released because he is a minor, were all booked with possession of marijuana. The other two were August Webster, 20, 5700 fourth St., Violet, and Eric Mies, 18, 2716 bradbury Drive, Meraux.

Allen is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond and Vigne was released on $25,000 bond. The minor was placed in the Juenile Detention center and and there wasn’t any bond information available on Webster and Mies.

In the other arrest, Michael Parham was arrested June 11 after SID agents went to his home at 2510 Chalona Drie, Chalmette and asked to talk with him about complaints received about marijuana use at the residence, the sheriff said.

Parham signed a consent to search form and agents found one pound of marijuana worth $1,200, a small amount of cocaine and 114 prescriptions pills of the drugs Tramadol, hydrocodone and Diazepam, most in prescription bottles in the names of others. Drug paraphernalia including rolling papers, clear bags and a scale were also found.

Parham was booked with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of cocaine and the prescription pills and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Parham has been released from Parish Prison on $25,000 bond.

Anyone with reason to suspect illegal drug activity in St. Bernard Parish should call the sheriff’s drug hotline at (504) 271-DOPE (271-3673). All calls are anonymous and will be acted on.