73-year-old Grandma arrested for drugs in home

A 73-year-old Des Allemands woman and her 20-year-old grandson were arrested after nearly $10,000 worth of drugs were found inside their home, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities say they uncovered 698 grams of marijuana with a street value of $3,400; 99.2 grams of crack cocaine with a street value of $4,410 and 5.5 grams of powder cocaine worth $550 on the street, inside the home of Jonathan and Ethel Mae Simmons.

Both reside at 190 JB Green Road.

“We received information that drug dealing was going on in the home and we investigated it and got a warrant,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Dwayne LaGrange said. “We arrested Jonathan Simmons before we entered the home, and Ethel Mae Simmons was arrested because we know that she knew about the drug activity.”

The drugs were found in two bedrooms inside the home and also in a shed outside. LaGrange said the drugs were hidden and that officers used trained dogs to uncover the stash.

Both were booked with the possession and intent to distribute drugs, possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia. Jonathan Simmons was also booked on an outstanding attachment in St. Charles Parish  and being in possession of two pit bull dogs that were not registered or vaccinated.

“This was a very large amount of drugs and there is no doubt that they were being distributed,” LaGrange said.
He added that it is unknown if or in what way Ethel Mae Simmons was profiting from the operation.