Ten people were arrested and booked into the Washington Parish Jail Thursday morning (September 17) following warrants executed at multiple locations in Bogalusa.
Two of those arrested are charged with second degree murder, including a Franklinton woman. Four of the people were arrested for various violations unrelated to this investigation.
The investigation began with three overdose death cases in Washington Parish. But Washington Parish deputies did not close those cases as overdoses. Instead, they classified hem as homicides and eventually suspects were arrested and charged with second degree murder.
Over the course of that work, deputies developed intelligence identifying six people and multiple locations tied to a drug distribution network operating in and around Bogalusa. As the scope grew beyond what the Sheriff’s Office office could carry alone, law enforcement partners were brought in, including the FBI.
“Dozens of electronic devices, firearms, and records that were seized during these searches are now being examined, and that work is just beginning. Among the seized items, more than one kilogram of suspected fentanyl was recovered,” Washington Parish Sheriff Jason Smith said at a news conference Friday morning at the Franklinton courthouse.
Arrested and booked into the Washington Parish Jail in connection with the drug distribution network were:
•Savannah Stephens — Second-Degree Murder, Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Conspiracy
•John Stewart — Second-Degree Murder (as a principal), Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Conspiracy
•Whitney Sykes — Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Conspiracy, Money Laundering
•Randy King Jr., also known as "Weezy" — Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Conspiracy, Money Laundering
•Joshua King, also known as "MoneyMakinJosh" — Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Conspiracy, Money Laundering
•Brandon Lotts — Conspiracy to Distribute Schedule I, II, and IV Controlled Dangerous Substances, Conspiracy, and Transactions Involving Proceeds from Drug Offenses.
Of the two suspects charged with Second Degree Murder, John Stewart, age 38, is a Bogalusa resident. Savannah Stephens, age 33, is a Franklinton resident.
If indicted and convicted of second-degree murder, Stewart and Stephens would face mandatory life imprisonment at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
Sheriff Smith said, “Over this summer, three families in this parish have buried someone. Today, two people are charged with murder.”
He added, “That is the change everyone should understand. A fatal overdose is no longer a closed file in this parish. It is a homicide investigation, and it will be worked like one.”
“These charges reflect what we can prove today, but the investigation is open and ongoing. We will continue to look for anyone who did business with these individuals. People who come to us first will have options that the people we come to later will not.”
District Attorney Collin Sims was also at the press conference. He echoed Sheriff Smith that overdoses will be considered homicides if evidence exists. Sims said this sends a message to drug dealers in the 22nd Judicial District of Washington and St. Tammany parishes that those who sell drugs, particularly drugs that cause overdoses, will face maximum justice.
Sheriff Smith said that in the investigation, “We achieved this level of cooperation because we worked on building relationships before we needed them. The Sheriff’s Office made these relationships a priority for the last two years and I am grateful for the assistance of the Fentanyl Overdose Response Team of the DEA’s New Orleans Division, District Attorney Collin Sims of the 22nd Judicial District, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Slidell Police Department, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Bogalusa Police Department, Customs and Border Patrol -- New Orleans Air and Marine Branch, the Division of Probation and Parole of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the Louisiana Army Reserve and National Guard, the Harrison County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Secret Service; and the Louisiana State Police.”
But even with the assistance of multiple other law enforcement agencies, the Sheriff made it clear that plenty of difficult work was performed by the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.”
“This started with our deputies, and it should be said that they made this happen. They developed the information, built the relationships that produced it, and turned it into intelligence that a federal task force could act on. That is difficult work, done over months, mostly without anyone watching, and I am proud of them,” Sheriff Smith said.
He added, “Bogalusa is worth the effort. The people who live there are entitled to the same expectation of safety as anyone else in this parish, and I intend to keep working until they have it.”
