Another St. Tammany Drug Bust

Working together with Homeland Security Investigations and State Police, detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Division have arrested a Slidell-area couple on drug charges.

On Friday (November 15, 2024), detectives with the STPSO Narcotics Division concluded a 6-week-long joint investigation with Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. During this investigation, detectives and agents identified 42-year-old Slidell resident Jerry Darby, known by the street name “BAM”, as a significant daily distributor of fentanyl and cocaine in both the Slidell and New Orleans areas.

It was learned Darby lived with his girlfriend, Andrea Richardson, in the 5900 block of Pier Park Avenue in Lakeshore Villages near Slidell, while he sold drugs in the surrounding area of Slidell and primarily from his two former residences in the 2700 block of Edge Street in New Orleans.

State police detectives, Troop NOLA Troopers and HSI searched the two residences in New Orleans Friday, while members of the STPSO Narcotics Unit, with the assistance of the Proactive Enforcement Unit, searched the Pier Park Avenue home.

At the Slidell-area residence, STPSO detectives located cocaine, an unlawfully possessed semi-automatic handgun and more than $30,000 in cash.

Searches of the New Orleans residences and a rental vehicle used by Darby, led to the discovery of more than 500 grams of fentanyl, assorted paraphernalia associated with the large-scale packaging and distribution of drugs, and an another unlawfully possessed handgun.

Darby was arrested and booked into the Orleans Parish Prison on Friday for Possession with the Intent to Distribute for Schedules I, II and III (separate charges), Possession/Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance within a Drug-Free Zone, Operation of a Clandestine Lab for Manufacturing Controlled Dangerous Substances, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm with a Controlled Dangerous Substance.  

He was transferred to the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center for booking on Monday (November 18, 2024) and was booked there for Possession of a Schedule II CDS (cocaine), Transactions Involving Proceeds from Drug Offenses, Possession of a Firearm in the Presence of a CDS, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

A warrant for the arrest of 34-year-old Andrea Richardson was obtained by detectives with the STPSO Narcotics Unit, for Possession of a Schedule II CDS (cocaine), Transactions Involving Drug Proceeds, Possession of a Firearm in the Presence of a CDS, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was taken into custody Tuesday (November 19) afternoon and will be booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center.  

“Criminals do not care about jurisdictional boundaries, which is why we work closely with our federal and state partners to identify the individuals who are bringing these dangerous drugs into our community,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “I want to thank everyone involved in this successful operation which resulted in a large amount of deadly fentanyl being taken off the streets and a large-scale dealer being put behind bars.”

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or additional criminal activity can contact the Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division at 985-543-4182. You can also anonymously report information through the Louisiana State Police online reporting system by visiting https://dpsweb.dps.louisiana.gov/suspicious.nsf/WebForm?OpenForm or via the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Website at https://www.stpso.com/report-a-crime/.