Heroin sales targeted in St. John raids
Published 12:14 am Saturday, March 9, 2019
- LaPlace residents Corey Antonia Joseph, 18, and Jacobi Johnson, 20, are facing numerous drug-related charges.
LAPLACE — A Special Operations investigation of St. John the Baptist Parish heroin sales led to two arrests and the seizure of numerous weapons.
LaPlace residents Corey Antonia Joseph, 18, and Jacobi Johnson, 20, are facing numerous charges following coordinated searches last week at the homes of Joseph and his mother.
Joseph was under investigation for his involvement in heroin distribution, police said — an investigation that determined Joseph utilized a Jasper Lane apartment as his primary address.
Special Operations Division and Criminal Investigations Division deputies executed a search-and-seizure warrant Feb. 27 in the 1900 block of Jasper Lane.
Joseph and his roommate, Johnson, were located and arrested in an upstairs bedroom.
No one else was located in the apartment, police said.
While searching the bedroom where Joseph and Johnson were apprehended, detectives located a 40-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun with a magazine containing 11 bullets under the bed next to a clear plastic bag of an unknown white powdery substance.
During the search, detectives also reported seeing a digital scale with residue, an MDMA pill and a clear plastic bag containing approximately a gram of heroin on a TV stand.
Detectives also found a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun with a magazine containing 14 bullets next to the bed.
Detectives searched the second bedroom and located a Taurus .380 handgun in a briefcase next to the bed.
That same day, detectives executed a search-and-seizure warrant at Joseph’s mother’s home in the 400 block of Magnolia Drive in LaPlace.
Detectives said they located Joseph’s Louisiana ID card while searching his mother’s bedroom.
According to police, Joseph’s mother told officers he no longer lived there but kept a storage bin with belongings in a spare bedroom.
Detectives located a 9mm bullet in the bin and a 40-caliber bullet in the garage.
Joseph was charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of MDMA, possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia 1st offense and three counts of illegal carrying of weapons with controlled dangerous substance.
He is being held in custody in lieu of a $31,500 bond and was transferred to the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office on March 1.
Johnson was released March 1 after he was booked for possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of MDMA, possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia 1st offense and three counts of illegal carrying of weapon with controlled dangerous substance.