St. Tammany Recently Seized More Than 16000 Tapentadol Pills, Made Numerous Arrests

In response to the recent influx of illegally obtained and distributed Tapentadol pills in St. Tammany Parish, detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit conducted multiple investigations. Over a three-month period, detectives jointly initiated and concluded five separate cases with Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service. These investigations spanned November 2024 through January 2025. 

• On November 21, 2024, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on N. Acorn Court in Pearl River. This led to the seizure of 1,656 grams of marijuana, 86 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, miscellaneous items of drug paraphernalia, and 500 unlawfully possessed Tapentadol pills. These discoveries resulted in the arrests of 30-year-old Antoine Domino and 20-year-old Kalie Marchese of Pearl River..

• On December 6, 2024, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in the 2000 block of Heather Lane in Slidell. This led to the seizure of 1.44 pounds of marijuana, 500 unlawfully possessed Tapentadol pills and $11,502. These discoveries resulted in the arrests of 39-year-old Calvert Magee and 32-year-old Brittany Wilhike of New Orleans.

• On December 12, 2024, detectives conducted an investigation at the Palmetto Greens apartments in Covington which led to the seizure of 13,300 unlawfully possessed Tapentadol pills. This resulted in the arrests of 34-year-old Darrell Williams of Meraux and 34-year-old Candice Augustus of Violet.

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• On December 18, 2024, detectives executed a search warrant at the Harborside Apartment Homes in Slidell which led to the seizure of 600 unlawfully possessed Tapentadol pills, 7 grams of marijuana, a Glock semi-automatic handgun and $13,500. This resulted in the arrest of 20-year-old Savion Johnson of Slidell.

• On January 30, 2025, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in the 100 block of Augustus Court in Slidell. This led to the seizure of 1200 unlawfully possessed Tapentadol pills, 6 grams of marijuana, and an assortment of drug paraphernalia. These discoveries resulted in the arrest of 24-year-old Tre Phillips of Slidell.

“These arrests are a testament to our detective’s dedication to stay on top of the latest drug trends in our parish,” Sheriff Randy Smith. “Once again, in working together with our federal partners, we have taken a large quantity of dangerous drugs off the streets and have arrested the individuals responsible for selling them in our community.”

Sheriff Smith is asking anyone with information about narcotics, or other crimes, to submit a tip utilizing the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office website (www.STPSO.com), or by calling the narcotics tip line (1-888-GO-2-JAIL).