On November 13, 2024, Maurice Collins of 1110 Collins St. Vacherie, LA, age 40, pled guilty to Distribution, Manufacture, or Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule IV Controlled Dangerous Substance (3 counts), Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Illegal Use of a Weapon While in Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance. Collins was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Mohon, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jason Verdigets. 

          On October 24, 2024, St. James Parish Sheriff’s Deputies while patrolling the Vacherie area observed a vehicle parked in front of a residence. Deputies observed a male subject exit the residence, approach the vehicle, and engage in a hand-to-hand transaction with the driver of the vehicle. The male subject quickly went back into the residence and the vehicle departed the residence. Deputies initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and identified the driver as Maurice Collins. Based on an officer/violator interview, deputies requested the presence of a K-9. The K-9 conducted and open-air sniff of the vehicle and gave a positive alert for the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. During a search of the interior of the vehicle, deputies located a handgun along with quantities of narcotics. A criminal history search revealed that Collins is in fact a convicted felon. Collins was arrested and transported to the St. James Parish Jail where he was booked accordingly.   

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charges, sentencing was deferred to a later date pending a Pre-Sentence Investigation. 

          On February 18, 2025, the defendant appeared before Judge Verdigets for sentencing. The defendant was sentenced to 20 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served.