Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a Cut Off resident arrested in December faces new charges after detectives discovered a cache of stolen property in the South Lafourche area. Sidney Ricard Sr., 49, was arrested again last week after detectives found tens of thousands of dollars of stolen property was in his possession. Investigators now seek to return the property to its owners.
As previously released, Ricard was arrested in December 2018 when detectives found a vehicle containing stolen property at a Golden Meadow motel. Ricard was arrested and charged with two counts of Simple Burglary and Illegal Possession of Stolen Things. He was released from jail on January 8, 2019, after posting bond.
As the investigation continued, detectives discovered tens of thousands of dollars in stolen property which Ricard had accumulated and obtained new arrest warrants. Detectives say Ricard was attempting to sell the stolen property using an alias on social media. On February 14, he was brought to the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex due to his bond being surrendered, and he was booked again on the December charges. He was additionally booked with two counts of Illegal Possession of Stolen Things and one count of Contempt of Court for the Town of Golden Meadow. His new bond is set at $65,000, and he has been ordered to pay $300 in fines and costs related to the contempt warrant.
Meanwhile, detectives are seeking to find the owners of the stolen items which were recovered. Many of the items appear to have been stolen from residential sheds and self-storage facilities. Some of the items appear to have been stolen from shipyards or other industrial or construction sites. The items recovered include industrial items, welding equipment, generators, golf clubs, power tools, shop vacuums, and various electronics to name a few. There are also numerous random items that people were keeping in self-storage units.
Investigators are in the process of contacting self-storage business owners in the South Lafourche area. In the meantime, self-storage business owners are asked to check their storage units for any signs of tampering, or units which may have locks on them that are not currently being leased. Anyone who is currently leasing a self-storage unit should also check their units to see if any items have been stolen. Residents and businesses in the South Lafourche area should also check outside sheds, carports, and patios to ensure no items have been stolen. Anyone who finds an item has been stolen, or any self-storage business owner who finds signs of tampering should contact Detective Steve Schieffler at (985) 532-4357.
