Drugs, Cash and Firearm Located During St. Tammany Traffic Stop

A routine traffic stop Saturday (September 19, 2020) night near Slidell uncovered a large amount of drugs and cash and a firearm.

Shortly before midnight Saturday, a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputy attempted a traffic stop on a black Kia Soul in the area U.S. Highway 190 East and Sunset Drive near Slidell. The vehicle ultimately stopped in the 100 block of Shamrock Drive. Deputies detected a heavy odor of narcotics emanating from the vehicle’s interior and a search was conducted.

During the search deputies located approximately 52.4 grams of suspected heroin (packaged for sale), 7.1 grams of suspected powder cocaine, 10.0 grams of suspected crack cocaine, 18 suspected Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) pills, 105 grams of suspected marijuana, $1017 in cash and an assortment of drug paraphernalia.

The occupants admitted to deputies they had discarded several items from the vehicle as they were being pulled over, and during a search of the area, deputies located a pistol with an extended magazine in a ditch next to the vehicle.

The driver, Darrell Coleman (31) was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on the charges of Driving Left of Center (misdemeanor), Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I CDS - heroin (felony), Possession of Schedule I CDS – MDMA (felony), Possession of Schedule I CDS – marijuana (misdemeanor), Possession of Schedule II CDS – cocaine  (felony), Possession of Schedule II CDS - crack cocaine (felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (misdemeanor), Illegal Carrying of Weapons in the presence of CDS (felony), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (felony), and Obstruction of Justice (felony). Bond has been set at $900,000.00.

The passenger, Eldridge Brown (35) was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on the charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I CDS - heroin (felony), Possession of Schedule I CDS – MDMA (felony), Possession of Schedule I CDS – marijuana (misdemeanor), Possession of Schedule II CDS – cocaine  (felony), Possession of Schedule II CDS - crack cocaine (felony), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (misdemeanor), Illegal Carrying of Weapons in the presence of CDS (felony), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (felony), and Obstruction of Justice (felony). Bond has been set at $400,000.00.

“Thanks to the proactive work of our deputies these two criminals as well as their illegal drugs and a firearm were taken off the streets of St. Tammany,” Sheriff Randy Smith said.