Fifteenth drug suspect arrested (with mugshots)

A little more than two days after an estimated 50 law enforcement officers spread out in four teams for pre-dawn raids, 15 of 17 persons being sought have been arrested.

Only two of the 17 — 30-year-old Jason Cooley and 31-year-old Willie Holloway — remain at-large. Tuesday afternoon, Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper said Holloway had contacted law enforcement officials and there was a possibility at that time he would surrender.

The two still at-large will all be charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Schedule II CDS (controlled dangerous substance), specifically, cocaine, as were 12 others targeted in the roundup.

The penalty for conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute carries a sentence of imprisonment at hard labor for not less than two years or more than 30. Additionally, there can be no parole, probation or suspension of sentence during the first two years and a fine of not more than $50,000 may also be assessed.

Three others — Roy Short, 36, Russel Ramsher, 40, and Diana Ramsher, 42 – were charged with more serious offenses.

Short was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in addition to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Schedule II CDS. Russel and Diana Ramsher were each charged with possession with intent to distribute Schedule II CDS (Oxycontin), possession of a weapon in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, and possession of a CDS in a drug free zone.

Culpepper said in addition to making the arrests on Tuesday, law enforcement seized 50 grams of marijuana, 280 grams of cocaine, one firearm and about $3,000 in currency.

Bickham

Levi

Cooley

Dixon

Cotton

Holloway

Jefferson

Robertson

Owens

Ramsher

Whitten

Short

Fields

Lavinghouse

McCray

Ramsher

Roberts

Drug roundup: 13 of 17 now behind bars

Thirteen of seventeen individuals sought on warrants in connection with a roundup of local and area drug dealers are now in Washington Parish Jail in Franklinton.

"Everything went really smooth," explained Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper. "The planning, preparation and execution took a lot of work, but after that it all went very well."

The arrests brought to a close a multi-agency task force investigation. The task force was made up of agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, LSP Criminal Investigations Division Hammond Field Office and the Bogalusa Police Department.

The investigation began in June of 2010, when detectives identified a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) lead by Derek Moss, (B/M age 44) of Marrero, suspected of trafficking cocaine throughout the Bogalusa area.

Moss, a native of Washington Parish, established Bogalusa as the DTO’s base of operation utilizing residents to distribute narcotics throughout the community.

On Feb. 19, 2011, Moss and several high ranking members of the DTO were arrested without incident resulting in the disruption of the criminal enterprise. The subsequent investigation led to the identification of the 17 individuals sought on Tuesday.

Those arrested and their charges include:

• Sebastian Levi (B/M age 45) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• John Roberts (B/M age 41) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Darin Fields (B/M age 29) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Myrtis Dixon (B/M age 47) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Luther Whitten Sr. (B/M age 53) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Diana Ramsher (W/F age 42) – Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Oxycontin), Possession of a weapon in the presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Possession of a CDS in a Drug Free Zone.

• Russell Ramsher (W/M age 40)  - Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Oxycontin), Possession of a weapon in the presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Possession of a CDS in a Drug Free Zone.

• Gregory Bickham (B/M age 41) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Larry O’Neal Cotton (B/M age 37) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Roderick McCray (B/M age 27) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Jada Owens (B/F age 46) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Roy Short (B/M age 36) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine) and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

• Johnny Robertson (B/M age 51) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine) and Possession of Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

Detectives are continuing their investigation and actively seeking the following suspects:

• Tina Jefferson (B/F age 26) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Randall Lavinghouse (W/M age 38) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Willie Holloway (B/M age 31) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Jason Cooley Jr. (B/M age 30) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

Culpepper told wpnewsblog that Jefferson, Lavinghouse and Holloway had contacted police and there was a possibility they would surrender to police.

Mug shots will be available Wednesday.

Operation Safe-T-Net part of ongoing effort to dismantle Derek Moss' Bogalusa drug empire

Russel and Diana Ramsher

The knocks on the doors came early this morning, and when someone came to the door, they were greeted by armed police officers with their weapons drawn.

Operation Safe-T-Net was under way.

After gathering at the National Guard Readiness Center on Highway 10 West at 4:30, officers were first briefed, then divided into four teams as they prepared to execute a total of 17 arrest warrants.

Darin Fields

Officers hit the street at 5:12 a.m. and the first suspects were brought in through the back door of the  some 45 minutes later when Russel and Diana Ramsher were brought in ... his hands bound behind him and hers in front. As they reached the first stop in the booking process, she started crying and complaining that officers had not allowed her to "take my medicine."

Luther Whitten, Sr.

"What medicine do you take?" she was asked. She responded, but was then directed to sit at the table where the booking process began.

Tuesday's operation is the culmination of a year-long investigation that began in June 2010 when the Bogalusa Police Narcotics Unit, Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division Region 1 Troopers and agents of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a joint cocaine investigation in the Bogalusa area.

Roy Lee Short

During the investigation, a drug trafficking organization lead by Derek R. Moss, 43, of Marrero. Moss, a native of Bogalusa, used his hometown as a base for his criminal activity.


A subsequent investigation into Moss' operation resulted in the utilization of various investigative techniques and led to the arrest of Moss and four high-ranking members of his organization.

Myrtis Dixon a/k/a
Myrtis Bickham

Tuesday's raids were a result of a year's worth of wiretaps and other surveillance activities and all of the suspects have been identified as members of Moss' criminal organization.

"It's almost impossible to describe," said Bogalusa Chief of Police Joe Culpepper, "once you've gone on a wire, the hours and hours and hours you listen to as you develop evidence."

Bogalusa Policeman D Ray Phelps, who coordinated the Bogalusa potion of the effort, said today's arrest were not the last that will be executed.

Jada Owens

"There's more to come," Phelps told the assembled officers.

"We appreciate all of you being here this morning," Culpepper said. "This is the culmination of three or four years work and we thank you."

Once arrested the suspects were brought to the Readiness Center for processing and booking, then taken to the Bogalusa City Jail for transport to the Washington Parish Jail in Franklinton.

Who was targeted in today's drug bust?

A total of 17 suspects were targeted in today's drug bust, which centered around Bogalusa, and got under way as officers gathered at 4:30 at the National Guard Readiness Center.

The Bogalusa Police Department had nine on their list:
   • Sebastian Levi
   • John Roberts
   • Tina Jefferson
   • Darin L. Fields
   • Myrtis Dixon a/k/a Myrtis Bickham
   • Luther Whitten, Sr.
   • Randall Lane Lavinghouse
   • Diana Ramsher
   • Russel Ramsher

The Louisiana State Police Narcotics Unit had eight on their list:
   • Willie K. Holloway
   • Gregory "Little Greg" Bickham
   • Larry O'Neal Cotton
   • Roderick McCray
   • Jada Owens
   • Roy Lee Short
   • Jason Cooley, Jr.
   • Johnny R. Robertson

During the briefing of officers, Bogalusa officer D Ray Phelps, who was one of two coordinators of the strikes, warned that any of the individuals could be dangerous, but specifically warned about Holloway and Fields.

Holloway, incidentally, is the victim in the armed robbery allegedly committed by Bogalusa PFC Anton Atkins near the corner of Rosa Pearl and Plum on Sunday night.