HAHNVILLE – A three-month undercover operation in St. Charles Parish concluded on Jan. 29 with the arrest of several individuals and the seizure of more than 56,000 tablets of Ecstacy.

Also seized were four semi-automatic handguns, three vehicles, more than $20,000 in cash, and a digital cash counting machine.

On Feb. 4, the Federal Grand Jury indicted the following individuals on charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute MDMA also known as Ecstacy: Hai Nguyen, Marjorie Reddicks. Donald Brower. Quan Tran and Tien Nguyen

Reddicks & Hai Nguyen were also indicted with possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.

The operation was initiated by the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office with undercover purchases of Ecstacy from Marjorie Reddicks of 131 Eisenhower St. in St. Rose.

As a result of these purchases the operation was expanded to include officers from DEA, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department.

Deals to purchase larger amounts of Ecstacy were arranged, which ultimately led officers to a major supplier in New Orleans East and concluded there with the arrests and seizures outlined above.

Sheriff Greg Champagne said, “The success of this operation prevented an enormous amount of a dangerous drug from reaching the streets of St. Charles Parish and the metropolitan area during this Mardi Gras season. It also exemplifies that success that can be obtained when state and federal law enforcement agencies work together,”

Champagne added, “I would like to thank Sheriff Lee and his deputies from Jefferson Parish, Sheriff Craig Weber and his officers from Lafourche Parish, Chief Compass of NOPD, DEA Special Agent in Charge Billy Renton and his agents as well as Jim Letten, United States Attorney for their work in this operation.

Street value of the Ecstacy seized could be as high as over a half-million dollars.