Man arrested in undercover operation gets 25 years

A New Sarpy man who was arrested in an undercover drug operation was sentenced to 25 years in prison last week.

Louis Boyd Jr., 55, was convicted after a two-day trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of cocaine base, four counts of distribution of a quantity of cocaine base, one count of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Boyd was arrested in connection with an undercover narcotics investigation called “Operation Sleigh Ride.”

The round-up, which occurred in 2008, was the result of an 11-month undercover investigation by the Special Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office into illegal drug sales throughout the parish. Ninety people were arrested as a result of the undercover operation.

The investigation focused on typical street drugs such as marijuana and cocaine, and also targeted commonly-abused prescription medication.

Sheriff Greg Champagne said that many of those arrested for the distribution of prescription medication lived in the New Sarpy/Norco area.

The drugs sold to undercover officers during the operation included marijuana, cocaine, MDMA (Ecstasy), Carisoprodol, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Alprazolam, Diazepam and even a small amount of Heroin.