By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — A LaPlace man is facing numerous drug charges after authorities said he picked up a package of marijuana from the Edgard Post Office.

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said narcotics detectives arrested Alan Burl, 36, of LaPlace Thursday after a week-long investigation.

“Narcotics detectives initiated an investigation after receiving information that a package was mailed from Los Angeles to a fictitious person at an Edgard address,” Tregre said.

“Detectives obtained a judicial court authorized search warrant for the package and executed the warrant after Alan Burl picked up the package from the Edgard Post Office.”

Detectives recovered a pound of high-grade marijuana from the package, Tregre said, adding deputies estimated the street value of the marijuana to be approximately $5,600.

Sgt. Dane Clement said an anonymous complaint was received by the Sheriff’s Office about the package, which led to the investigation and subsequent arrest.

Burl was arrested on West First Street in Edgard, Clement said, and booked with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, driving with a suspended driver’s license and no rear view mirror on his vehicle.

Clement said Burl’s arrest and the investigation leading up to it is in no way connected to the arrests of five men last month. Those arrests were made after two packages containing drugs were intercepted in connection with two joint narcotics investigations of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, U.S. Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Service.

Burl was released on a $50,750 bond early Monday morning.

He has been arrested 14 times in St. John Parish since April 2000, according to authorities.