On July 17, 2017, Leron James of 208 Pierre St. Plattenville, LA., age 23, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance. James was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Daigle, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable judge Thomas Kliebert. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following a 2016 traffic stop. 

          On May 3, 2016, Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol Deputies initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle on LA 1 near Labadieville after observing the driver of the vehicle commit a traffic violation. Upon making contact with the driver of the vehicle, who was identified as Leron James, deputies detected a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and James’ person. When confronted about the odor, James advised deputies that there was a quantity of marijuana inside of the vehicle and granted deputies consent to search the vehicle. During a search of the interior of the vehicle, deputies located a glass jar containing loose marijuana along with a bag containing 29 individually wrapped clear plastic baggies of marijuana packaged for sale. James was subsequently arrested and transported to the Assumption Parish Jail where he was booked accordingly. 

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above mentioned charge, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Judge Kliebert ordered that James be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 5 years with credit for time served.