On November 4, 2024, Justin Steward of W 9th St. Donaldsonville, LA, age 32, pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance (2 counts). This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following a 2022 arrest in St. James Parish. Steward was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Mohon, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Keyojuan Turner.
On March 10, 2022, a St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy was patrolling the area of N Mobile Lane Gramercy when the deputy observed an individual seated in a vehicle who had active arrest warrants. Deputies approached the vehicle and made contact with Justin Steward who was seated in the driver seat of the vehicle. While speaking to Steward, deputies detected the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and observed two clear plastic baggies on top of the center console of the vehicle containing suspected marijuana. Steward was instructed to exit the vehicle at which time a pat down of his person was conducted. Deputies located two clear plastic baggies containing narcotics in his pant pocket. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located additional suspected marijuana as well as a quantity of cocaine, and a large caliber handgun. It was determined that the handgun had been previously reported stolen from Baton Rouge. During a criminal records search, deputies determined that Steward was a convicted felon. Steward was arrested and transported to the St. James Parish Jail where he was booked accordingly. Upon arrival at the jail, Steward confessed to possessing the narcotics and admitted that he had purchased the handgun from another individual.
Upon entering a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charges, pursuant to the plea agreement with prosecutors, Steward was sentenced to 15 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served.