Covington Man Convicted of Burglary – He Denied Charges But Was Caught on Camera

Interim District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on March 5, 2024, a six-person jury found Kenneth Primus, age 46 and of Covington, guilty of Simple Burglary following a one-day trial. 

Testimony at trial established that on February 13, 2023, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call for service at the Super 8 Motel in Covington. When officers arrived, the victim reported that while he was eating at a nearby Waffle House, someone entered his room without authorization and took various personal items of his.

In reviewing video footage from the motel’s security cameras, officers observed an unknown male entering the victim’s room empty handed and then leaving a few moments later with his arms full of the victim’s belongings. During the course of their investigation, officers were able to confirm the identity of the subject in the video to be that of the defendant, Kenneth Primus. Officers then secured a warrant for the defendant’s arrest on a charge of simple burglary. Approximately six months later, the defendant was arrested and transported to the parish jail.

During this week’s trial, defense counsel asserted the defendant was innocent as he had permission the whole time to be in the victim’s room. Prosecutors presented to the jury recordings of multiple jails calls during which the defendant and one of the witnesses can be heard trying to fabricate an excuse for why the defendant was in the victim’s motel room. On one of the calls, the defendant stated “I don’t know, I’m just reaching.” The jury heard from multiple witnesses that placed the defendant at the motel and identified him on the hotel’s video footage. The victim and other witnesses asserted no one gave the defendant permission to enter the victim’s room.

The defendant has multiple prior felony convictions and is facing up to 24 years in prison when he is sentenced, presently scheduled for March 20, 2024.

Assistant District Attorneys Taylor Nicholson and Iain Dover presented the case and Judge Scott Gardner presided over the trial.