Joint efforts lead to arrests on west side of parish

Joint efforts involving several law enforcement agencies are working to track down those suspected of being illegal drug dealers and those associated with gang related activity in St. Landry Parish.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz said, in a news release, narcotics officers with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Joseph Keith Vories, 22, of the 300 block of Acadia Street, after a traffic violation at the intersection of Nimitz and Minerva streets in Eunice.
Vories refused to stop, and he lead officers in a short pursuit through the city with speeds reaching 60 miles per hour. He was eventually pulled over on Maple Street near the intersection of 3rd Street in Eunice, and he refused to exit the vehicle and had locked the doors. Vories began yelling obscenities at officers and refusing orders to unlock the doors and exit the vehicle, Guidroz said.
Officers had to break the driver window to apprehend the suspect. Vories resisted arrest and had to be physically restrained and brought to the ground. The driver steadily cursed at the officers and refused to be placed in the police unit. Upon placing the suspect in the police unit, Vories kicked the passenger side rear window of the police car causing the glass to shatter.
Vories was brought to the Eunice sheriff’s office sub-station where he was checked out by Acadian Ambulance medics when he refused medical attention. The suspect was booked at the St. Landry Parish jail on charges of failure to signal, aggravated flight from officers, resisting an officer, criminal damage to property and no driver’s license.
Guidroz said officers from the St. Landry Parish Narcotics officers and agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency in Lafayette were also successful in the seizure of illegal drugs, an AK 47 assault rifle, and the arrests of individuals associated with illegal drug activity.
A visit to a suspected area of illegal drug activity resulted in the recovery of a small portion of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.The suspect that was in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia will be not be identified as of this release for investigative purposes, Guidroz said.
In another part of the joint effort, a participating narcotics agents conducted a traffic stop on U. S. Highway 190.
During the stop, the officer recovered an AK-47 semi-auto rifle. The suspect, John Drexler Williams, 26, of the 700 block of Poke Street, Welsh, is a convicted felon and currently on parole. Williams was booked for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, improper lane usage, proper equipment required, and no driver’s license on person.
“John Drexler Williams has been identified as a member of a street gang called, ‘Goon’s for Life,’” Guidroz said. “They are known to have ties to the Eunice and Ville Platte areas. Drexler will be held in the parish jail on a parole detainer and sent back to prison.”
Another traffic stop was conducted at the intersection of Maple Street and College Street by another enforcement agent.
During the investigation, the suspect, Christopher Gray, 22, of the 200 block of E. Minix Alley, Church Point, was found to be in possession of a clear bag containing 84 Ecstasy pills. Gray is also being investigated for distribution of crack cocaine.
Guidroz said, “During the investigation and interview with Gray, narcotics officers located and seized a clear bag of cocaine that Gray was attempting to conceal in his mouth. Gray began spitting up what appeared to be cocaine.”
Gray was transported to Eunice Medical Center by Med Express. An arrest warrant will be obtained for Gray upon his release at a later date, Guidroz said. Gray will be charged with failure to signal, no driver’s license, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute schedule II ecstasy, obstruction of justice, controlled dangerous substance in presence of a juvenile and controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone.
Guidroz said, “This is just a tip of the iceberg as to what we are doing to track down illegal drug dealers and criminals terrorizing our communities.”