Two St. Tammany Traffic Stops Result in Drug, Firearm Arrests

Two separate routine traffic stops conducted in the Abita Springs area have resulted in the recovery of a stolen firearm and approximately 500 fentanyl pills.

March 1. A deputy with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office 4th District conducted a routine traffic stop on a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu near the intersection of Pearl Street and Highway 59 in Abita Springs. During the traffic stop, the owner of the vehicle gave the deputy permission to search the vehicle. During the search, the alert patrol deputy located a bag containing a 9mm pistol, a ski mask, gloves and a flashlight, concealed behind a speaker box in the trunk. The firearm was reported stolen out of Tangipahoa Parish. The passenger of the vehicle, 39-year-old Earl Harrison, claimed ownership of the bag and its contents. He was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on one count each of being a Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearm and Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm.

March 6. The same St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputy, conducted a traffic stop on a 2018 Ford F-150 near the intersection of Hwy 435 and Main Street. The driver’s suspicious behavior during the stop prompted the deputy to request K9 to search the vehicle. That search resulted in the seizure of approximately 500 illicit Fentanyl tablets (73 grams), and 3.6 grams of crack cocaine. The driver, 60-year-old Edward Fogerty, was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center for one count each of Possession of Schedule II CDS (Fentanyl), Possession of Schedule II (Crack Cocaine) and Improper Lane Use.

“I applaud this alert patrol deputy who not once but twice this 
month noticed something suspicious during a routine traffic stop and acted, resulting in dangerous drugs and a stolen firearm being taken off our streets,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “These two men were obviously up to no good and this deputy’s actions thwarted their plans.”

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***