A Pointe Coupee Parish jury on Thursday (Feb. 27) found Elie T. Edwards guilty of running a large drug operation in the parish, including distributing heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamines, and marijuana, among other charges. Drugs confiscated in the 2022 bust had a street value of over $600,000.
The trial was the end result of a seven month multi-agency undercover investigation led by Louisiana State Police and the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics divisions in 2022. Over the course of the investigation, agents conducted numerous purchases of drugs from Edwards at various locations. They also conducted surveillance and identified others who were assisting Edwards with the transportation, storage, sale and purchase of large quantities of illegal narcotics.
The trial of Edwards, 46, of 12191 Boudreaux St., New Roads, began on Monday (Feb. 24) before District Judge Kevin Kimball. The jury deliberated only 43 minutes before rendering the guilty verdicts on all counts.
He was arrested on August 4, 2022 when law enforcement agents conducted multiple search warrants for his residence and other locations, where they found the stolen gun and other guns, along with large quantities of narcotics. They confiscated 18.6 pounds of heroin, 1.2 pounds of cocaine, 1.2 pounds of methamphetamines, 1.2 pounds of fentanyl including fentanyl laced synthetic marijuana, and 4.4 pounds of marijuana. A total of 13 arrests were made at the time of the searches, and several defendants charged with working within the drug ring testified against Edwards during the trial. Edwards is the first to be tried in the case.
Edwards was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute and one count of conspiracy to distribute each of the following drugs: fentanyl, methamphetamines, cocaine, marijuana and heroin; and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The convictions hold prison sentences of up to 40 years for each of the fentanyl and heroin counts, and up to 20 years on the gun count.
District Attorney Tony Clayton said, “We will not tolerate drug operations in our parishes. We will aggressively prosecute them to the fullest extent possible. Now that we have these convictions, this drug dealer will spend the rest of his life in prison, and we will prosecute his associates also. Our citizens want safe and peaceful communities. I do too, and I can assure residents that the DA’s office will continue to make sure cases like this end very badly for the drug dealers.”
Leading the prosecution for the DA’s Office was Chief of Trials Chad Aguillard and Assistant District Attorneys Lonny Guidroz, Ali Meronek, Kristen Canazaro and Nishant Bhushan.
District Attorney Clayton thanked the Pointe Coupee Sheriff’s Office, La. State Police and the other agencies involved for the thoroughness and bravery during the investigation, noting that “they provided us with the evidence necessary to present a strong case to the jury.”
Sentencing has been set for April 9th by Judge Battiste.