Cazayoux: 15 indicted in BR crime-fighting effort
Law enforcement officials credited the indictment of 15 repeat offenders to the collaboration they have formed through the Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination program.
Although not directly tied to BRAVE, which focuses on crime in the 70805 ZIP code, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III said this operation was a “byproduct” of the program.
Eight of the 15 people recently indicted had direct ties to the 70805 ZIP code, U.S. Attorney Donald Cazayoux said at a Friday news conference.
“They’re repeat offenders and we believe they need to be off the street,” Cazayoux said.
Moore said BRAVE has helped streamline the process of referring gun and felony arrests to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. It used to take the federal office one to two months to review the cases, but because of the relationships developed through BRAVE, that process is much quicker, he said.
Moore said the BRAVE initiative has highlighted the gun problem that has led to violence in the 70805 ZIP code, and the arrests made Thursday night were part of a wider operation that involved BRAVE officers.
Of the 15 people who were indicted, nine of them were already incarcerated. The other six were arrested Thursday night.
Kevin Harrison, U.S. marshal for the Middle District of Louisiana, said the news conference Friday sends a message to potential criminals because it shows a united front.
“Our gang’s big and our gang’s bad,” Harrison said.
Joining Cazayoux at the news conference, including some involved in the BRAVE initiative, were the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Marshal’s Service, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, Louisiana State Police and Louisiana Division of Probation and Parole.
“It definitely shows everybody’s commitment to this,” East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said.
State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson added that the arrests show what can be seen around the state and the country, that 85 percent of violent crime is tied to illegal weapons and narcotics.
“The public just wants to see results,” Edmonson said. “And we are making a difference right here in our community.”
Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White said when the three-year, $1.5 million grant for the BRAVE program was first announced, there were a lot of naysayers. However, he said, the team showed by the announcement Friday that the program is moving forward. The bulk of the federal grant will go toward research on identifying violent offenders in 70805. That information is still being collected.
During the operation, law enforcement officers also arrested 11 people on outstanding warrants.
BRAVE is an effort to reduce violence via the cooperation between law enforcement, residents and social service programs. The program has similarities to the Operation Ceasefire programs in other areas of the country.
The 70805 ZIP code, generally bordered by Airline Highway to the north and east, Choctaw Drive to the south and the Mississippi River to the west, has been targeted because of the high number of homicides in the area.
The following people were indicted by in federal court:
- Michael T. Early, 20, Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Gerald Johnson, 24, Baker, one count possession of a firearm of a convicted felon and one count of possession of marijuana.
- Keonne Taylor, 24, Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Lazaar Alexis, 29, of Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Adrian K. Thompson, 35, Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
- Kevin Brown, 41, Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Byron Carter, 29, of Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Francisco Javier Yanez-Muniz, 21, one count possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.
- Damion L. Alexander, 23, Zachary, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count possession of a stolen firearm.
- Desmond J. Raby, 28, Baton Rouge, two counts possession with intent to distribute marijuana, alprazolam and hydrocodone, two counts possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and two counts possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Antoine Montreal Brown, 28, Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm while subject to a court order.
- Christopher Foster, 23, Baton Rouge, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Derrick Pitcher, 42, Baton Rouge, one count possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, lisdexamfetamine and morphine, one count possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Jeremy D. Banks, 32, Baton Rouge, one count possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Johnny Lynn Robertson Jr., 24, one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.