By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — A LaPlace man who pleaded guilty to simple burglary and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon was sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

Walter L. White Jr., 22, of LaPlace pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to the two charges. He was sentenced to serve five years with the Department of Corrections for simple burglary and 10 years for the possession charge.

St. John Parish Assistant District Attorney Philip Prescott Jr. was the lead prosecutor in the case.

White’s sentence stemmed from an incident that occurred March 22 on Houma Drive in LaPlace.

According to the police report, a woman pulled into the driveway of her home and suspected a burglary after she saw her gate was forced open. She immediately called police, and when detectives arrived they were able to pull surveillance film from two different security cameras owned by the homeowner and a neighbor. The video footage allowed detectives to identify White as the suspect.

White was arrested March 30 and booked with probation violation, attachment, simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, carrying of a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by convicted felon and a bench warrant.

St. John Parish District Attorney Tom Daley said his office will continue to closely monitor cases and crimes that involve firearms, especially crimes in which convicted felons are in possession of a gun. In doing so, Daley said his office is partnering with Sheriff Mike Tregre in taking “a pro-active step to reducing gun violence in St. John Parish.”

Daley said he could not speculate on the amount of time White will actually serve behind bars, as the Department of Corrections continuously changes rules of good behavior and parole eligibility.