St. Tammany News

Six drug arrests were made recently by the Covington Police Department Street Crimes Unit, bringing the total drug arrests made since April 2007 to 68, according to Lt. Jack West, spokesman for the Covington Police Department.

In one recent arrest, the suspect, Pierre C. Crandle, a parking valet at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, was arrested by Street Crimes Unit officers who pulled up to the hospital in an unmarked SUV. West said when Crandle approached the car, thinking he was going to be parking it, the officers swiftly leaped from the vehicle, grabbed him and handcuffed him. The arrest had been planned in advance with hospital security in order to avoid endangering members of the public or hospital staff. The hospital security guards removed his hospital ID card as the arrest was made.

"The Street Crimes Unit officers made their arrest and were gone in 60 seconds before anyone knew anything was happening," West said.

Crandle, 20, of 318 W. Edwards St. in Covington, was charged with one count of transactions involving proceeds for drug offenses; one count of possession of marijuana; and one count of possession of drugs in a drug free zone.

In another incident, West said, the Street Crimes Unit arrested Edward Ramsey Jr., who was wanted by the DEA on drug racketeering charges. Ramsey, 35, of 20162 Parkwood Drive, Covington, was arrested on a DEA warrant for one count of drug racketeering. The arrest was made without incident.

Another DEA suspect, Dartanian Lamar Taylor, 20, of 620 Dutch Alley, Covington, was found to already be in St. Tammany Parish Jail on other charges and was arrested on the DEA charge by the Street Crimes Unit, according to West. He was arrested on charges of one count of distribution of crack cocaine and one count of distribution of Schedule II narcotics in a drug free zone.

Two high school students were arrested at a Covington high school on several counts of drug violations, West said. The two students, Alva Martell Chatman, 17, 224 W. 32nd Ave., Covington, and Jamal R. Crandle, 18, 318 W. Edwards St., Covington, were allegedly selling drugs on street corners after school, said West.

Chatman was charged with two counts of distribution of crack cocaine, two counts of distribution of Schedule II narcotics in a drug free zone, and one count of failure to appear in court on a previous charge.

James Crandle was charged with one count of distribution of marijuana, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia; one count of distribution of Schedule I narcotics in a drug free zone, one count of possession of marijuana, and one count of possession of schedule I in a drug free zone.

In the last of the recent arrests, Street Crimes Unit officers observed a drug deal go down in the 800 block of North Jackson Street in Covington. West said officers arrested Lester Michael Tyson, 28, 701 N. Taylor St., Covington. He was charged with one count of distribution of crack cocaine and one count of distribution of Schedule II narcotics in a drug free zone.