Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced nine individuals were charged with driving while intoxicated over the Labor Day weekend. The charges come as a result of increased patrol efforts through the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which concluded over the weekend.

At around 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, deputies initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle traveling on LA 1 in Mathews. The driver, identified as Jake Orgeron (age 23) of Lockport, was showing signs of possible impairment, and he admitted to taking prescription medications and smoking crystal meth prior to driving. He performed poorly on a field sobriety test, and a breathalyzer test showed him to have a blood alcohol level of .000g%. Deputies obtained a warrant to test Orgeron’s blood, and the results are pending at the State Police Crime Lab in Baton Rouge. Orgeron was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine. He was arrested and transported to the Lafourche Parish Detention Center where he was booked with DWI (1^st Offense), Possession of Methamphetamine, texting while driving, improper lane usage, and violation of a drug free zone (due to his proximity to a school). He was released Monday morning after posting $6,200 bond.

Then at around 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, September 3, deputies initiated a traffic stop on Jennifer Street in Gray, and identified the driver as Cleveland Johnson Jr. (age 59) of Gray. Deputies detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Johnson, and he admitted to having consumed alcohol prior to driving. Johnson performed poorly on a field sobriety test, and a breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol content to be .324g%. Due to his high level of intoxication, Johnson was initially transported to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center for evaluation. He was released and transported to the Detention Center where he was booked with DWI (2^nd Offense), driving under suspension, and improper lane usage. He was released Monday afternoon after posting $3,100 bond.

Seven other individuals were also charged with driving while intoxicated from Friday, September 1 through Monday, September 4:

• Hope Hebert (age 45) of Thibodaux – DWI (1^st Offense) and improper lane usage;
• Maria Godoy (age 34) of Thibodaux – DWI (1^st Offense) and Careless Operation;
• Bobby Soudelier (age 52) of Larose – DWI (2^nd Offense) and improper lane usage;
• Scott Rodrigue Sr. (age 55) of Larose – DWI (2^nd Offense), driving under suspension, and improper lane usage;
• Jennielynn Russ (age 51) of Thibodaux – DWI (1^st Offense) and improper vehicle lighting;
• Carolyn Hollingsworth (age 46) of Raceland – DWI (2^nd Offense), driving under suspension, improper lane usage, and contempt of court (warrant); and
• Andres Robles (age 28) of Thibodaux – DWI (2^nd Offense), Possession of Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia, Careless Operation, and Speeding.

These nine individuals charged with DWI come at the end of the latest Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. In the 15-day period spanning August 21 through September 4, a total of 26 individuals were charged with driving while intoxicated. These numbers represent those tallied by Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies, and do not include several other DWI arrests recorded by partnering law enforcement agencies.

Sheriff Craig Webre applauded deputies’ efforts during this campaign. “Lafourche Parish has been a leader in DWI enforcement in Louisiana for many years, and this latest effort shows we are not slowing down,” said Sheriff Webre. “As a ‘no refusal’ parish, even when field tests and chemical tests are refused, we will seek a warrant to have blood tested. This is all part of our hard-line stance against impaired driving to ensure the safety of those traveling on our roadways.”