3 arrested in attempt to smuggle drugs into Livingston Jail

LIVINGSTON — Deputies arrested three people accused of trying to smuggle drugs into the Livingston Parish Detention Center, the Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday.

Deputies spotted a trusty and another man in a restricted area adjacent to the jail fence within a short time of each other Sunday, said Lori Steele, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies took the trusty, who was in a restricted area inside the fence, back into the jail to have his trusty status revoked for entering the restricted area, but other deputies continued to watch the area. Within a few minutes, they spotted another man outside the fence in the same vicinity, Steele said.

After deputies saw the man, he fled into nearby woods, she said.

Deputies went to the other side of the wooded area, where they found a woman and her truck on Charlie Watts Road, Steele said.

The woman with the truck, who was identified as Connie Michelli, told deputies she had been paid to drive a man to the jail to make a delivery, the spokeswoman said.

A man then came out of the woods carrying a plastic bag containing 16 packs of synthetic marijuana and a pair of gallon-size bags containing tobacco, rolling papers and a lighter, deputies reported.

He was identified as Milton L. Brown, 52, 315 Sullivan St,. Denham Springs. Deputies booked Brown on counts of entering contraband into a penal institution and possession with the intent to distribute synthetic marijuana, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

Michelli, 44, 36229 Cane Market Road, Denham Springs, was booked with entering contraband into a penal institution, deputies said.

Deputies booked the trusty, John L. Palmer, on counts of attempting to enter contraband into a penal institution and attempted possession with intent to distribute synthetic marijuana.

At the time of the incident, Palmer, who listed his address as 20579 Justin Drive, Denham Springs, was in jail awaiting trial on charges of possession of oxycodone and suboxone,
according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Brown remained in jail Tuesday afternoon in lieu of $100,000 bail, and Michelli had been released on $25,000 bail, Steele said.