Three arrested in theft and recovery of 37 crab traps at Delacroix Island that were worth more than $1,500

Posted: June 21st, 2014 | Filed under: News Releases
Jeremy Encardes, arrested as the alleged ringleader in the theft of the crab traps

Jeremy Encardes, arrested as the alleged ringleader in the theft of the crab traps
theft of the crab traps Christopher Areas Jr., booked with theft of the traps with Encardes.

theft of the crab traps Christopher Areas Jr., booked with theft of the traps with Encardes.
Justin Vicknair, booked with possesson of stolen property, the 37 crab traps

Justin Vicknair, booked with possesson of stolen property, the 37 crab traps

The 37 recovered stolen crab traps worth $1,500 being brought to shore on a St. Bernard Sheriff's Office boat after they were seized being used in the Violet Canal.

The 37 recovered stolen crab traps worth $1,500 being brought to shore on a St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office boat after they were seized being used in the Violet Canal.


Several St. Bernard Parish men wanted to get into the commercial crabbing business but apparently didn’t want to bother doing it the legal way, preferring to steal and use the traps of others.

But the Sheriff’s Office, in a joint effort with the state Wildlife and Fisheries Department, busted up the ring, arresting three men and seizing 37 traps stolen recently from the Delacroix Island area that were worth more than $1,500 total, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Two of the men, including the alleged ringleader, Jeremy Encardes, 28, 1931 Rocky Road, St. Bernard community, were caught June 18 on the Violet Canal, with 37 crab traps identified as stolen from three individuals in the Delacroix Island area.

Justin Vicknair, 17, 2416 Nancy Drive, Violet, was arrested with Encardes by Sheriff’s Dep. Sgt. Joey Alfonso of the sheriff’s Special Investigations Division and Agent Jason Gernados of Wildlife and Fisheries, who developed information about the missing crab traps.

The original tags which identified the owners of the traps had been removed and Encardes had replaced them with tags identifying him as the owner, officials said.

Also, Christopher Areas Jr, 22, 2300 Margaret Lane, Meraux, was questioned and said he and Encardes had stolen two truckloads of crab traps off Delacroix Highway, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

Encardes was booked with two counts of theft of crab traps and three counts of possession of stolen property. He is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of bond set at $50,000.

Vicknair was booked with three counts of possession of stolen property and released on bond of $17,500, while Areas, booked with three counts of theft of the traps, was released on a $10,000 bond.