SERVING ASCENSION, ASSUMPTION & ST. JAMES PARISHES

Reserve Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession

          On December 18, 2017, Demario Griffin of 158 East 27th St. Reserve, LA., age 27, pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Griffin was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Mohon, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jason Verdigets. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following a January traffic stop. 

          On January 16, 2017, patrol deputies with the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle weaving over both the center-line and fog line of the Hwy near the intersection of Hwy 3213 and Hwy 3127 in Vacherie. The deputies then observed the vehicle make an illegal U-turn in the middle of the roadway. Upon making these observations, deputies initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. Deputies made contact with the driver of the vehicle, who was identified as Demario Griffin. After running Griffin’s driver’s license and conducting a warrant check, deputies learned that Griffin did in fact have active warrants for his arrest in another parish. During a search of the vehicle, deputies recovered a 9mm handgun. Deputies learned that Griffin had a prior felony conviction for Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number or Marking. Griffin was subsequently arrested and transported to the St. James 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 Verdigets ordered that Griffin be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 5 years at hard labor with credit for time served. It was further ordered that this sentence is to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.