It wasn’t a happy Valentine’s Day for the players in a Lacombe-area drug operation thanks to the work of detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Division and the Louisiana State Police Narcotics/Violent Crimes Task Force (Region 1).
However, it was a clear win for St. Tammany residents as a large cache of illegal narcotics, stolen guns and drug proceeds was taken off the streets and three big players responsible for distributing dangerous narcotics in our parish are now behind bars.
In March 2022, while working with State Police, STPSO Narcotics detectives began an investigation into subjects believed to be distributing large quantities of several types of illegal narcotics in St. Tammany Parish. Through the course of the investigation, detectives were able to identify the members of a drug trafficking organization operating out of residences in the Lacombe area lead by Lacombe resident Reginald Schneider.
Detectives then tied Schneider to other individuals involved in the operation – Willie Wilson, Kimberly Kerr and Miranda Moran.
Tuesday afternoon, detectives conducted a traffic stop in the Lacombe area on a black Chevrolet pick-up truck occupied by Wilson and Kerr. Inside that vehicle detectives located 28.2 grams of suspected crack cocaine and an assortment of drug paraphernalia.
Following that traffic stop, detectives with the State Police Narcotics/Violent Crimes Task Force and the STPSO Narcotics Division simultaneously executed search warrants at residences located on Berry Todd Road, Janet Street and Dinkins Drive, all in the Lacombe area. State Police K9 Boyca was used during those searches.
As part of the nearly year-long operation, detectives recovered approximately 178.4 grams of suspected cocaine, approximately 58.3 grams of suspected methamphetamine, approximately 23.9 grams of suspected fentanyl, 66 dosage units of suspected oxycodone, approximately 85.4 grams of suspected marijuana and an assortment of drug paraphernalia. Detectives also recovered eight firearms, four of which were reported stolen.
At the Dinkins Drive residence, detectives also recovered a camera system, a Chevrolet Silverado pick-up truck, a GMC Sierra pick-up truck, a red Polaris RZR side-by-side and close to a half million dollars in suspected drug proceeds. The vehicles were being used by Schneider, Wilson, Kerr and Moran to traffic drugs in and around the Lacombe area.
Reginald P. Schneider (DOB 07/04/1965) was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:
6 counts of L.R.S. 40:967AC Possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II CDS (felony)
6 counts of L.R.S. 14:95E Illegal Possession of a Weapon in presence of a CDS (felony)
6 counts of L.R.S. 14:95.1 Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon (felony)
4 counts of L.R.S. 14:69.1 Illegal Possession of Stolen Firearms (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 40:1041 Transactions Involving Proceeds from Drug Offenses (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 40:1023C – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (misdemeanor)
Willie L. Wilson (DOB 03/21/1974) was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:
3 counts of L.R.S. 40:967A Distribution of a Schedule II CDS (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 40:967AC Possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II CDS (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 40:967C Possession of a Schedule II CDS (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 14:95E Illegal Possession of a Weapon in presence of a CDS (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 14:95.1 Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 40:1023C Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (misdemeanor)
Kimberly Kerr (DOB 04/08/1971) was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:
1 count of L.R.S. 40:967AC Possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II CDS (felony)
1 count of L.R.S. 40:967C Possession of a Schedule II CDS (felony)
2 counts of L.R.S. 40:1023C Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (misdemeanor)
1 count of L.R.S. 14:00 Fugitive out of Louisiana Probation and Parole (misdemeanor)
Miranda J. Moran (DOB 07/24/1974) was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:
2 counts of L.R.S. 40:967C Possession of Schedule II CDS (felony)
1 Count of L.R.S. 40:1023 Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (misdemeanor)
1 Count of L.R.S. 40:966C Possession of a Schedule I CDS (misdemeanor)
“Due to the diligence of our detectives and the excellent working relationship we have with the State Police Narcotics/Violent Crimes Task Force, four of our area’s biggest drug dealers are now behind bars and a very large quantity of dangerous drugs will never hit the streets of St. Tammany Parish,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “I commend and thank everyone who worked on this operation. We will continue our work to identify and arrests those individuals who are bringing drugs into our community.”