Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced a Cut Off resident initially arrested in December 2018 has been charged with eight new counts of possession of stolen property. Sidney Ricard Sr., 49, now faces a total of 11 counts of Illegal Possession of Stolen Things and burglary charges stemming from stolen property that was recovered in the South Lafourche area.

Ricard was arrested in December 2018 when detectives found a vehicle containing stolen property at a Golden Meadow motel. At that time, Ricard was charged with two counts of Simple Burglary and one count of Illegal Possession of Stolen Things. He was released on January 8, 2019, after posting bail. As the investigation continued, detectives discovered tens of thousands of dollars in stolen property which Ricard had accumulated and was attempting to sell on social media. The recovered items included welding equipment, generators, power tools, industrial items, shop vacuums, and various random items that individuals were keeping in self-storage units. New arrest warrants were obtained. Then on February 14, 2019, Ricard was booked again on the December 2018 charges due to a bond surrender. Per the new warrants, he was additionally booked with two more counts of Illegal Possession of Stolen Things and one count of Contempt of Court for the Town of Golden Meadow.

Meanwhile, detectives have been seeking out property owners to return the stolen items which were recovered. Thus far, detectives have identified eight more victims who had property stolen. This led to detectives obtaining warrants for eight more counts of possession of stolen property. Including his December arrest, Ricard now stands as charged with two counts of Simple Burglary, five counts of Felony Illegal Possession of Stolen Things, and six counts of Misdemeanor Illegal Possession of Stolen Things. His bail is set at $182,500 for those charges, but he is also being held for Louisiana Probation and Parole due to a parole violation.

Investigators are continuing to try to identify the owners of stolen property. Anyone who is currently leasing a self-storage unit should also check their units to see if any items have been stolen. Residents and business owners in the South Lafourche area should also check outside sheds, carports, patios, and any unsecured areas to ensure no items have been stolen. Anyone who finds an item has been stolen should contact Detective Steve Schieffler at (985) 532-4357.