Slidell Man Sentenced to 40 Years on Narcotics Charges

District Attorney Warren Montgomery reports that on Thursday, September 22, 2022 Jason Leon Griffin, age 41 and of Slidell, was sentenced by District Judge Alan A. Zaunbrecher to forty (40) years in prison on the charge of possession with intent to distribute heroin and twenty (20) years in prison on the charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, with the sentences to run concurrent with each other. The defendant had been found guilty of both charges by a 12-person jury on June 26, 2022. The Defendant has two prior convictions for distributing drugs and a prior conviction for possession of contraband in a state correctional institution. The defendant also has a pending case in the 22nd JDC for conspiracy to commit monetary instrument abuse.

On August 21, 2020, the Slidell Police Department initiated an investigation after a citizen report of sales of methamphetamine out of a Slidell apartment.

Detectives arranged for a confidential informant (hereinafter CI) to purchase narcotics from the apartment on two separate occasions. The CI purchased methamphetamine from the defendant’s brother, his co-defendant, both times. The co-defendant previously pled guilty and is serving 10 years in prison. The co-defendant testified under oath that he and his brother sold narcotics out of the Slidell apartment. He was called as a State’s witness at the defendant’s trial.

Detectives obtained a search warrant after the CI buys and made forced entry into the apartment on September 9, 2020. In the living room, detectives recovered a plastic bag containing methamphetamine; a plastic bag containing heroin; and a small plastic tub of heroin; all of which were on a couch where the defendant was seated.

In the master bedroom, Detectives recovered a zip lock bag containing MDMA; a black container with heroin residue and a plastic bag with methamphetamine.

Assistant District Attorneys Amanda Gritten and Zachary Popovich prosecuted the case.