EPSO joins Basile Police in executing narcotic arrest warrants

By: CARISSA HEBERT

Managing Editor

BASILE - Coordinating efforts between the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) and the Basile Police Department led to the arrest of eight people Friday evening during an Evangeline Parish Drug Task Force roundup.

Basile Police Chief Allen Ivory said after several months of conducting an undercover investigation, arrests warrants for various counts of distribution were executed by members of the task force Friday evening, March 14.

“It’s only the beginning,” he said. “We have a bunch of warrants.”

Officers from Basile and the sheriff’s office met Friday afternoon before 4 p.m. to coordinate their efforts. Chief Ivory had a stack of warrants in his hand as the group of officers discussed how they were going to conduct this joint effort to arrest persons who had allegedly sold narcotics to undercover officers.

Officers agreed to break up into two teams and hit two houses on Pine Street. It was agreed searches would be conducted to see if any narcotics were in the households, but at each residence, someone was going to be served with an arrest warrant.

The first team stopped at a trailer house and asked to enter the residence. After officers brought several items out of the house, Shonda Bellard, 32 (dob 8-18-75), 1123 Pine St., Basile, was arrested on a warrant for distribution of cocaine. Ivory said additional charges are pending, as an investigation continues in this case.

Shortly before 5 p.m., officers stopped at Early Anthony “Pu-Put” Hardy’s home. A family member was not happy with the authorities stopping at his house. He did allow Ivory to enter the home and search for Hardy. Officers traveled a few blocks searching for Hardy and discovered him at his girlfriend’s home. Hardy, 39 (dob 5-22-68), 404 Guillory St., Basile, was taken into police custody on a warrant for distribution of crack cocaine.

At 5:30, officers knocked on a house on the corner of Stagg and Ardoin streets. Here officers took Lussie Earl Hilton Jr., 30 (dob 10-9-77) into custody. A search of his house was conducted.

At 7 p.m., utilizing information officers had, they knocked at the door of Joseph Horne, 33 (dob 1-15-75) , 3606 Stagg St., Basile. After speaking to Horne about the information they had received, officers were given permission to search the area. They discovered some marijuana, and Horne was taken into police custody. He was charged with simple possession of marijuana.

Then officers met with a deputy from Acadia Parish to travel across the highway into Acadia Parish to execute an arrest warrant. They discovered Richard Kephart, 36, (dob 10-20-71), 343 Miguel Road, Basile, walking down the road. He was stopped and taken into police custody on a warrant for distribution of methadone.

When the evening ended, officers had executed eight of the arrest warrants in their possession. They also took the following persons into police custody:

•Brooke N. Deaville, 27 (dob 11-5-80), 1879 Cypress St., Basile, was charged with distribution of cocaine.

•Nevy Martin Ceasar, 42 (dob 7-9-65), 125 Smith St., Basile, was charged with distribution of crack cocaine.

•Augustus “Kenta” Ceaser, 31 (dob 3-14-77), 2459 Smith St., Basile, was charged with distribution of crack cocaine.

“We thank the EPSO and members of the drug task force for a very successful effort,” Ivory said at the end of the evening.

Captain Keith Dupre, chief of detectives with the sheriff’s office, said Sheriff Eddie Soileau promised in his campaign to fight narcotics in the parish. He said they will continue to work at stopping illegal drug traffic in the parish.

Residents are urged to report any illegal activities to the sheriff’s Office. Soileau said all callers will remain anonymous.