St. Rose man gets 30 years in jail after crack bust

A 28-year-old St. Rose man was sentenced to 30 years in jail in connection with a crack bust at his home in February.

Derrick Pierre was sentenced to 25 years in jail by Judge M. Lauren Lemmon for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and five years in jail without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence for the illegal possession of a firearm while possessing cocaine.

Pierre was arrested on Feb. 1 after the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at his home. When police entered, Pierre allegedly threw an M&M candy bottle filled with 40 individually wrapped rocks of cocaine out of the kitchen window. Authorities say they also located cocaine inside Pierre’s pocket along with $842. Four digital scales and an additional $1,000 in cash were found in the home, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.

All of the narcotics were tested by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and determined to be crack cocaine, according to the St. Charles Parish District Attorney’s Office. It took a parish jury just 13 minutes to find Pierre guilty of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine.

Lemmon told Pierre that she is a proponent of second chances when substance abuse is an issue, but that she is not a proponent of drug dealers and repeat offenders. Pierre was previously convicted of battery of a police officer in 2009 in St. Charles Parish and also has convictions in Orleans Parish for possession of cocaine, carrying a semi-automatic weapon and possession of stolen property.

Lemmon said that Pierre had been given several chances and opportunities in the past to rehabilitate his life, but failed to do so.

District Attorney Joel Chaisson II said he was very pleased with the outcome of the case and reiterated his office’s commitment to continue to aggressively prosecute drug dealers, violent offenders and repeat offenders. Chaisson also praised the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office for their hard work and dedication to removing drug dealers from the streets.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kim McElwee and Connie Aucoin.