On January 15, 2009 Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Detectives rebooked a woman on upgraded charges after a drug screen on her two month old son revealed the presence on cocaine in his system.  The woman was first arrested on January 5, 2009 following a search of her home that revealed several illegal drugs in her possession and within reach of the baby.  Some of those drugs and a razor blade were even found in the baby’s bassinet.  The baby was immediately removed from the home and placed into protective custody by case workers with the La. State Office of Community Services.

Coleen Ann Poche, a 29 year old white female who listed her address as 28864 George White Road, Holden, La. has a new charges of:

• 1 Count of 2^nd Degree Cruelty to a Juvenile

She remains in the Livingston Parish Detention Center on a total bond for all charges of $150,500.00 with a hold for violation of probation and /or parole.

The infant child remains under supervision of OCS.

Original Story Here

On the afternoon of January 5, 2010, Detectives with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Agents from the Tri-Parish Narcotics Task Force and Officers from the Albany Police Department went to a mobile home near Albany and arrested a woman who was selling illegal drugs in the presence of her 2 month old son.  Authorities determined that the father of the two month old child burglarized a local pharmacy on December 28, 2009, brought the proceeds of that crime to the 28864 George White Road residence, and began selling the illegal drugs.

Colleen Ann Poche, a 29 year old white female who listed her address as 28864 George White Road, Holden, La., was charged as follows:

• 1 Count Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS
• 1 Count Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule IV CDS
• 1 Count Illegal Use of a CDS in the Presence of a Person Under 17 Years of Age

She is in the Livingston Parish Detention Center on a $100,500.00 bond.

Ronald H. Carter, Jr. (the child’s father) a 38 year old white male who listed his address as 28864 George White Road, Holden, La., was charged as follows:

• 1 Count Burglary of a Pharmacy

He is currently in the Amite City Jail for a similar drug store burglary in that jurisdiction.  He will eventually be booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center.

When Agents entered the mobile home, they found Poche sitting on a couch with 200 of the Hydrocodone pills on an ottoman in front of her. On the floor, within her reach, next to the ottoman,  was her two month old son.  They searched the bedroom area and found two more bags of pills in the baby’s bassinet along with a razor blade.  Several empty pill bottles were found outside the trailer in a blue plastic barrel in the back yard.  Eventually, a total of  789 dosage units of Hydrocodone, 900 dosage units of Klonapin and ½ dosage units of Viagra (street name “fix-a-flat”) were recovered in the home.  Agents confirmed that these pills and commercial pill containers were taken during the December 28, 2009 burglary of Johns Pharmacy on La 43 in Albany.

Agents also determined that burglary was committed by Carter and an accomplice, David Holden.  The two were connected to the Albany crime when authorities in Amite City caught Carter committing a pharmacy burglary there.

On January 6, 2009, David L. Holden, a 31 year old black male who listed his address as 5554 J. Holden Lane, Kentwood, La. was charged as follows:

• 1 Count Burglary of a Pharmacy
• 3 Counts of Outstanding Traffic Ticket Warrants

He is currently awaiting a bond hearing in the Livingston Parish Detention Center.

The Office of Community Services took custody of the child. Upgraded charges are likely in this case as it is still under investigation.

United States Attorney David R. Dugas announced today that EVELYN J. HOLDEN, age 52, KOVERIA D. WILLIAMS, age 44, and ANN M. WARR, age 58, all residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were charged in Bills of Information arising out of Operation “Illegal Motion.” All three were arraigned today before U.S. District Court Judge James Brady and pled guilty to the charges contained in the Bills of Information filed against them.

The Bill of Information filed against EVELYN D. HOLDEN charges that from in or about 2008 through October of 2009, while employed in the property section of the 19th Judicial District Court, HOLDEN conspired with Flitcher Bell and others to engage in bribery by soliciting payments from individuals with criminal and traffic matters pending in Baton Rouge City Court with the promise that the charges would be dismissed or otherwise “fixed.” HOLDEN faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The Bill of Information filed against KOVARIA D. WILLIAMS charges that from in or about 2008 through October of 2009, WILLIAMS conspired with Flitcher Bell and others to engage in bribery by soliciting payments from individuals with criminal and traffic matters pending in Baton Rouge City Court with the promise that the charges would be dismissed or otherwise “fixed.” WILLIAMS faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The Bill of Information filed against ANN M. WARR charges that from in or about 2008 through October of 2009, WARR, while employed with the Baton Rouge City Court, conspired with Edward James and others to engage in bribery by soliciting payments from individuals who were required to perform community service with the promise that the requirements would be fraudulently satisfied by falsely creating court documents reflecting performance of community service by the defendants. WARR faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The charges resulted from Operation “Illegal Motion,” an ongoing investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the cooperation of the Louisiana Office of Inspector General; the Louisiana State Police; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigative Division; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality – Criminal Investigations Division. The cases are being prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Corey R. Amundson and Assistant United States Attorney M. Patricia Jones.

Here is the full list of those implemented and the charges against them, so far:

Flitcher Bell: Baton Rouge City Prosecutor; Charged with accepting money in exchange for having charges dismissed; entered guilty plea and resigned from the Clerk of Court’s Office

Darrell Johnson: Baton Rouge Police Sergeant;  Charged with fixing a prostitution charge; entered guilty plea and resigned from the Baton Rouge Police Dept.

Leonard Jackson: Baton Rouge Police Officer;  Charged with bribery in connection with fixing charges in Baton Rouge City Court;   admitted to accepting a bribe  to collect a $10,000 debt using his position as an office; plead guilty and resigned.

Edward C. James: Chief Investigator for the Public Defender’s Office;  Charged with taking money from people within the judicial system that had pending charges. He would then share the money with someone from the prosecutor’s office or some other court official to have the charges dismissed. Resigned from the Public Defender’s Office

Evelyn Holden: Clerk of Court’s Office; Charged with conspiracy which stems from her alleged solicitation of cash from those with criminal and/or traffic charges in Baton Rouge; plead guilty and resigned

Koveria Williams: Friend of Flitcher Bell; Charged with conspiracy to use interstate facilities in aid of racketeering by accepting bribes in exchange for using his connection to Bell for having charges reduced or dismissed in city court. Has not yet plead to these charges as of 11-19-09.

Ann Warr: Clerk of Court’s Office; Charged with accepting cash in exchange for doctoring community service hour sheets; expected to enter a plea later this afternoon (11-19-09)