Thirty-one of thirty-eight people wanted in a Sheriff’s Office drug round-up March 27 are jailed and 7 remain at-large; Most dealt heroin, crack, pills and marijuana; Sheriff vows year-round undercover operations

Pictures of the seven men still at-large in St. Bernard undercover drug operation

Photos of 30 people jailed in drug investigation except for minor whose name can’t be released.	Capt. Ronnie Martin arrests Alexis Eady of Chalmette at her residence.
Sheriff James Pohlman and Maj. Chad Clark discuss the drug round-up before addressing assembled officers who will participate. In background are photos of the suspects to be arrested.	Two suspects are about to be placed in the van to take them to St. Bernard Prison.

Officers arrest Paul Tardo and Valerie Payne at their home in Chalmette before dawn breaks.

Thirty-one of thirty-eight people wanted in a St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office drug round-up are now jailed and 7 remain at-large, Sheriff James Pohlmann said, adding he is fed up with drug-dealers, particularly increasing numbers of heroin distributors who could destroy the nature of St. Bernard Parish if not stopped.

“We were angered by the number of people we were able to purchase heroin from,’’ in this undercover operation, Sheriff Pohlmann said. “But we are going to put them in prison and anyone who thinks they can take their place dealing will join them in prison.’’

Sheriff Pohlmann and Maj. Chad Clark, commander of the Special Investigations Division which includes the Narcotics Unit, said the undercover drug investigation carried out over recent months led to arrest warrants for 38 people wanted for selling heroin, crack, pills and marijuana.

“This operation went smoothly as planned and our SID division did an excellent job,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Two of the wanted group, both women, were wanted for accessory to dealing pills. One juvenile, a 16-year-old Chalmette boy whose name can’t be released, was arrested for selling marijuana and was taken to the parish juvenile detention center after his arrest.

Six suspects in the investigation, which was dubbed “Operation Summer Heat Phase II’’ because it began immediately after last September’s drug round-up named “Operation Summer Heat,” in which more than 40 arrests were made, have been in jail since before Wednesday’s round-up.

There were arrest warrants for eight people who sold heroin, one of whom, Marvin Richards, has been in prison since December when he was arrested with 11 grams of heroin

“This is all-out war for the future of our parish,”” Pohlmann said of efforts to stop dealing. “We have zero tolerance for drug-dealers. Users need rehabilitation but drug-dealers need to go to prison.’’

Maj. Clark said undercover drug operations will continue year-round by the Sheriff’s Office.

“If you deal drugs in St. Bernard you will be arrested,” Clark said. He added, “Remember this, if you sell drugs here you won’t know until it’s too late that you might be on video doing it. All drug buys by the Sheriff’s Office are videoed and there is no question you will be convicted when you are shown on the video.’’

He said there were a total of 43 cases of separate undercover buys of drugs, including 11 heroin, 15 marijuana, 3 crack cocaine and 14 pharmaceutical purchases.

Still wanted on arrest warrants are: Cernell Davis, 39, of Violet, heroin distribution; Garrett Felger, of Slidell, heroin distribution; Earl Harris, 25, Chalmette, distribution of heroin and crack cocaine; Rodney Green Jr., 28, of Violet, distribution of crack; Derek Smith, 21, of New Orleans, heroin distribution; Dwight Carter, 23, of Chalmette, marijuana distribution; and Michael Currera, 34, of Chalmette, distribution of pills.

Phase II was an effort to continue to bring heat on drug-dealers, authorities said.

“In past years after previous undercover operations, the Sheriff’s Office would let things cool down on the streets,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said. “Sometimes it would be several months before a new drug operation was started.”

That is over now, he said. “Unlike those times, immediately upon the conclusion of “Summer Heat’’ members of the Special Investigations Division continued making undercover purchases parish-wide.’’

The sheriff said, “We believe these arrests should make a dent in street sales in St. Bernard Parish and maybe scare some into recognizing there is a high probability of being caught if you deal drugs here.’’

Sheriff Pohlmann also said, “One reason we enjoy a low level of violence in this parish is because we don’t let drug-dealers stand on corners and end up killing each other over drug turf and customers.’’

During the time of this undercover operation, 6 search warrants were executed that were directly related to the investigation and had to be dealt with at the time, rather than postponed until the conclusion of the operation.

For instance, on Dec, 11, 2012, Marvin Richards was arrested for possession with the intent to distribute 10.9 grams of heroin and 1.5 grams of cocaine.

Richards also sold heroin during the undercover operation Summer Heat Phase II and was arrested and booked with distribution of heroin. Richards was a known mid-level heroin dealer in St. Bernard Parish and members of the Special Investigations Division placed a little extra “heat” on catching him, Clark said.

Agents also arrested two of Richards’ close associates as well as other members of his operation during the December investigation.

Also, Sanaa Halum, a Chalmette woman, sold Suboxone, a drug for weaning people off heroin addiction, and she also sold marijuana during Summer Heat Phase II. As a result of those purchases and information received from a confidential informant, members of the Special Investigation Division began an investigation looking into the distribution of marijuana being sold from the residence of Sanaa Halum and her boyfriend, Brandon Celastaine, at 2521 Jackson Blvd., Chalmette.

On March 4, a search warrant was executed at their home and narcotics agents found 10.4 pounds of marijuana hidden under one of their children’s bed, about one gram of heroin and a loaded .40 caliber hand gun that was found hidden in the children’s bedroom closet.

Richards, Halum and four others booked in Summer Heat Phase II were already incarcerated in St. Bernard Parish Prison before the round-up started. The others are Jennifer Buchanan of Chalmette, wanted in the latest operation for two counts of selling heroin; Dwayne Jones of Violet, wanted in the operation for two counts of selling marijuana; Lorrell Robinson, wanted for selling marijuana; and Jamin Muscarello of Chalmette, wanted in the operation for selling pills.

During the arrests made Wednesday, agents also booked three men and a woman on unrelated charges of possession of marijuana when a small amount was found at a residence where they went to find Todd Adams Jr., of Violet, wanted for sale of pills of marijuana.

When a small amount of marijuana was found during his arrest, Adams Jr. was also booked on the misdemeanor possession count, along with his father, Tony Adams Sr., and three others.

While the undercover investigation was conducted by St. Bernard narcotics officers, other law enforcement agencies including the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, ICE, the U.S. Marshal’s Service and State Police took part in the round-up.

List of arrested suspects and their charges besides the six already in custody:

A 16-year-old male juvenile in Chalmette whose name can’t be released; marijuana