SERVING ASCENSION, ASSUMPTION & ST. JAMES PARISHES

During the week of August 11 – August 15, 2025, the following defendants pled guilty to various charges and were sentenced in the 23rd Judicial District Court, parishes of Ascension, Assumption, and St. James.

Posted on by Claire Falgoust

Ascension Parish: 

  1. On April 29, 2025, Kahlil Howard of 7233 LA Hwy 405 Donaldsonville, LA, age 27, pled guilty to Attempted 2nd Degree Murder and Armed Robbery. Sentencing was deferred to a later date pending a Pre-Sentence Investigation. On August 12, 2025, Kahlil Howard was sentenced to 55 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. The said sentence is to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. This sentence is to run consecutively to any time the defendant is currently serving. 

The above case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brant Mayer, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Cody Martin. 

  1. Caleb Cutno, Donaldsonville, LA, age 24, pled guilty to Aggravated Battery and was sentenced to 10 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 3 years supervised probation. 
  1. Brayden Devall, 7391 Linda Lee Dr. Denham Springs, LA, age 20, pled guilty to Simple Criminal Damage to Property Valued at $1,000 or More, but Less than $5,000 and was sentenced to 2 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 3 years supervised probation. 
  1. Jeremy Johnson, 13015 Brindle Wood Dr. Greenwell Springs, LA, age 31, pled guilty to Aggravated Assault with a Firearm and Battery of a Dating Partner. The defendant was sentenced to 7 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 5 years supervised probation. 
  1. Martin Medel-Alvarado, 18953 Old Perkins Rd. Baton Rouge, LA, age 34, pled guilty to Hit and Run Involving Serious Injury/Death and DWI 1st The defendant was sentenced to 10 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 5 years supervised probation. The defendant is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle for a period of 1 year and during probation is to be placed on 2 years home incarceration. 
  1. Devin Henderson, 36035 Raleigh Dr. Denham Springs, LA, age 31, pled guilty to Theft Valued at $1,000 or More, but Less than $5,000 and was sentenced to 3 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 3 years supervised probation. 
  1. Catherine Riley, 13096 Cypress Gold Rd. Saint Amant, LA, age 42, pled guilty to Illegal Possession of Stolen Things and was sentenced to 3 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 3 years supervised probation. 
  1. Dylan Tarifa, 18713 Little Prairie Rd. Prairieville, LA, age 32, pled guilty to Felony Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile and was sentenced to 9 ½ years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. Upon release from incarceration, the defendant must register and notify as a sex offender or child predator. 
  1. Joandri Desantiago, age 26, pled guilty to Theft or Criminal Access of an Automated Teller Machine and was sentenced to 2 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. 
  1. Maurice Lott, age 38, pled guilty to Failure to Register and Notify as a Sex Offender or Child Predator and was sentenced to 5 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. The said sentence is to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. 
  1. Dwaine Roger, 31110 Blossom St. Holden, LA, age 35, pled guilty to Theft of a Motor Vehicle Valued at $25,000 or More and was sentenced to 5 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served.                                                              
  2. Richard Ware, 234 Bracewall Dr. Baton Rouge, LA, age 30, pled guilty to Aggravated Flight from an Officer and was sentenced to 4 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. 
  1. Arthur Braxton, 38300 Dogwood St. Gonzales, LA, age 36, pled guilty to Domestic Abuse Battery with Child Endangerment and was sentenced to 3 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 5 years supervised probation. 

The above cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Philip Prescott, and presiding over these matters was the Honorable Judge Jason Verdigets. 

Assumption Parish: 

  1. Cornell Johnson, 3233 Delaune St. Napoleonville, LA, age 61, pled guilty to Failure to Register and Notify as a Sex Offender or Child Predator. The defendant was sentenced to 2 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. 

The above case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lana Chaney, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge John Smith. 

St. James Parish: 

  1. Kwan Robinson, 6234 Convent Station St. Convent, LA, age 48, pled guilty to Exploitation of the Infirmed and was sentenced to 5 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 3 years supervised probation. 
  1. Rondell Priestly, 3162 Oubre St. Vacherie, LA, age 33, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Counterfeit Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance and Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance. The defendant was sentenced to 10 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 3 years supervised probation. 
  1. Tad Brack, 3439 N Angelle St. Paulina, LA, age 36, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance and was sentenced to 2 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on 2 years supervised probation. 
  1. Brent Louque, 2159 Levy Gaudet St. Paulina, LA, age 45, pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance, Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance (2 counts), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Illegal Possession of Weapons – CDS. Sentencing was deferred to a later date pending a Pre-Sentence Investigation. 

The above cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Adam Koenig, and presiding over these matters was the Honorable Judge Steven Tureau.