United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr., announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging DEREK A. LEWIS, age 49, of Port Allen, Louisiana, and FREDERICK W. SMITH, age 39, of Port Allen, Louisiana, with 22)counts of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, mail fraud, wire fraud, use of an interstate facility in aid of racketeering, and forfeiture. If convicted, LEWIS, who is the mayor of the city of Port Allen, faces up to 190 years’ imprisonment and a $3,500,000 fine. If convicted, SMITH, who is the chief of police for the city of Port Allen, faces up to 130 years’ imprisonment and a $2,750,000 fine.

The indictment alleges that the defendants obtained cash and other things of value worth approximately $20,000 from businesspeople in exchange for using their official positions with the city of Port Allen for the benefit of the businesspeople in connection with transactions represented to be worth over $5,000,000. The indictment alleges the following areas of bribery:

• LEWIS took bribes to use his position as mayor to promote and to obtain money for a conceptual product known as the “Cifer 5000.”
• LEWIS and SMITH took bribes in exchange for SMITH using his position as chief of police to fraudulently provide confidential law enforcement information to businesspeople.
• SMITH took bribes in exchange for using his position as chief of police to write a letter to a Connecticut prosecutor seeking leniency for an individual he believed was facing drug charges.
• SMITH took bribes in exchange for corruptly dismissing traffic tickets.
• SMITH took bribes in exchange for using his position as chief of police to provide the businesspeople with official Port Allen Police Department badges.
• SMITH took a bribe in exchange for using his position as chief of police to agree to commission one of the businesspeople as an official police officer with the Port Allen Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Cazayoux stated: “Public corruption, particularly within law enforcement agencies, cannot and will not be tolerated. My office, together with the FBI and our other federal, state, and local partners, will continue to aggressively pursue such matters wherever the evidence and facts take us.”

FBI Special Agent-in-Charge David Welker stated: “Today’s indictment demonstrates the continued commitment of the FBI and its law enforcement partners to identify and root out public corruption wherever we find it in Louisiana.”

This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Corey R. Amundson who serves as the Senior Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.

NOTE: An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that probable cause exists to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty at trial.

U.S. Marshal’s Task Force and EBRSO apprehended Rico Demoine Anthony, 19, this morning at 13906 Goodwood Blvd. based on an anonymous CrimeStoppers Tip.

Anthony is charged with Second Degree Murder for the July 29th shooting death of 41-year-old David Young that occurred on the 1900 block of Mariner. The Task Force apprehended Jordan Daigre, 20, of 8033 Starwood Court the day of the shooting for Principal to Second Degree Murder.

According to reports, Young was visiting relatives on Mariner when Daigre and Anthony entered the relatives’ apartment. Young and the two men engaged in a verbal altercation, and Young told them to leave. The three continued to argue outside the apartment when Anthony allegedly pulled out a gun and gave it to Daigre. Daigre allegedly pointed the weapon at Young, who then retrieved a gun from his pocket. Young and Daigre allegedly exchanged words, and Young placed his weapon back into his pocket, and entered his vehicle to leave. Anthony then allegedly took the gun from Daigre and shot Young through the passenger side of his vehicle.

Anthony will be booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

Hunters and campers can save money this weekend on a wide range of supplies including firearms, ammunition, hunting knives and certain clothing items. The 2010 Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday takes place Friday, September 3, through Sunday, September 5.

During these three days, eligible items are exempt from all state and local sales taxes in Louisiana. The exemption applies to purchases for individual use. It does not apply to business purchases.

Eligible items include:

• Accessories designed to be used for hunting.
• Shotguns, rifles, pistols, revolvers, or other handguns.
• Ammunition intended to be fired from a gun or firearm is eligible.
• Animal feed for consumption by game which can be legally hunted.
• Apparel such as safety gear, camouflage clothing, jackets, hats, gloves, mittens, face masks and thermal underwear for use while hunting;
• Off-road vehicles such as all terrain vehicles designed for hunting. The exemption does not apply to golf carts, bikes, motorcycles, tractors, or motor vehicles which may be legally driven on highways.

For the full list of eligible items and special provisions of this sales tax holiday, visitwww.revenue.louisiana.gov/secondamendment.

Portions of Scenic Highway and Interstate 110 will be closed for six hours on Thursday, Sept. 2, for the filming of the independent movie, “Transit.”

Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday, police plan to close Scenic Highway between Blount Road and Central Road to film scenes for the movie. During the same hours, the northernmost leg of I-110 will be closed to traffic between Scenic Highway and Highway 19, also known as Scotland Avenue.

Police will be on the scene to detour traffic around the filming site onto Blount Road, Central Road, and Scotland Avenue (see map in attachment). In addition, there will be variable message signs in place to alert approaching motorists about the closure.

The movie stars Jim Caviezel, who has also appeared in “Déjà vu” and “The Passion of the Christ.”

East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies arrested Sara Elizabeth Arceneaux, 24, of 8195 Jefferson Park Avenue after deputies found drugs in her vehicle during a routine traffic stop early this morning.

Arceneaux is charged with Improper Lane Usage, Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule III Drugs, Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule IV Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Marijuana.

According to reports, deputies stopped Arceneaux at approximately 12:36 a.m. after she repeatedly changing lanes without any signals. The deputy detected a strong odor of marijuana and discovered 150 Xanax pills, 150 Hydrocodone pills, 6.5 grams of Marijuana, one digital scale, various drug paraphernalia and more than $1,000 dollars in cash inside her vehicle.

Arceneaux also signed a waiver to allow deputies to search her residence where they discovered 28.2 grams of Marijuana and various drug paraphernalia.

Baton Rouge Police Detectives have obtained a warrant for the arrest of JARRETT EDWARDS, charging him with 2^nd Degree Murder in connection with the shooting death of MICHAEL BANKS, 55. Banks was found shot to death in the 2600 block of Laurel Street on August 21^st around 8:20pm. The preliminary investigation indicates the shooting may have been drug-related.

Edwards is a black male, 21, 5’11”, 180 lbs., with a last known address of 2615 Laurel. Anyone with any information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Homicide Division at 389-4869 or Crime Stoppers at 344-7867.

Producers of the independent movie, “Transit,” plan to close a portion of Veteran’s Memorial Boulevard near Metro Airport on Thursday, August 26.

Veteran’s Memorial between Progress Road and Blount Road will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday for the filming. The movie stars Jim Caviezel, who has also appeared in “Déjà vu” and “The Passion of the Christ.”

The production is working with the Baton Rouge Police Department and City-Parish Traffic Engineering officials to ensure that Thursday’s filming goes smoothly.