March 08, 2019  |  11:51 am

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office has obtained an arrest warrant for a Biloxi, Mississippi, man wanted in connection with the felony theft of a Mardi Gras float from the Covington area. The float was stolen from the Lions Club shortly before 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. The Sheriff’s Office received a report on Monday (March 4) that a 25-foot-long float, being stored with several others on the premises of the Covington Lions Club, had been stolen. The STPSO made a Facebook post on Monday evening (March 4) asking for the public’s assistance in locating the float. Within a short time of the STPSO posting, deputies were able to locate the float undamaged at a residence on Walnut Street in Slidell. The subsequent investigation revealed that Orlando K. Lyons, of Biloxi, MS removed the float from the Covington Lions Club parking lot on the evening of Sunday (March 3) with the intention of taking the float to Biloxi, MS. While on the way to Mississippi a mechanical failure occurred with the vehicle being used to tow the float, prompting Lyons to seek assistance from a family member who lived in the nearby Slidell area. The family member contacted the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office on Monday (March 4) after discovering the float was reported stolen via Facebook. Detectives who have been investigating the case have been in telephone contact with Lyons requesting a meeting to discuss the stolen float. Lyons claims he rented/bought the float, but he has yet to meet with detectives or provide any evidence to support his claims. An arrest warrant was issued for Orlando K. Lyons (D.O.B. 04/05/1989) through the 22nd Judicial Court on Friday (March 8) for the violation of Louisiana Revised Statue 14:67(B2) Theft over $5,000 (Felony). Anyone who has further information or can assist with providing information on the whereabouts of Orlando Lyons, is asked to contact STPSO Detective Patrick Penton at 985-276-1351 or 985-898-2338.