After St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s detectives located fentanyl-laced marijuana during a traffic stop, Sheriff Randy Smith reiterated his warning to residents that the only safe drugs are those prescribed by a doctor or purchased at a pharmacy.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday, STPSO Narcotics detectives were patrolling the area of the Abita Nursery Subdivision in Covington when they observed a purple Dodge Challenger driving erratically and initiated a traffic stop. The driver of the Challenger continued driving for approximately three and a half blocks before finally stopping, at which time, the driver, 43 YO John Silas Joiner of Mandeville, struggled with detectives before ultimately being taken into custody and being placed in a patrol car. When emergency medical personnel opened the door of the patrol car to evaluate Silas, he fled and led the detectives and a patrol deputy on a foot pursuit through the neighborhood. He was recaptured a short time later.
Detectives located approximately 7.5 grams of suspected marijuana which tested positive for both marijuana and Fentanyl and 11 tablets of suspected MDMA (Ecstasy) in Silas’ possession.
Inside his vehicle, detectives located a 9 mm semi-automatic style short-barreled assault rifle with a loaded 50 round drum style magazine, a digital scale, drug packaging materials, a set of brass knuckles, $890 in cash, approximately 28.95 grams of suspected cocaine and 450 counterfeit Oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl.
Joiner, who is currently on parole in this state for distribution of cocaine, morphine, and hydrocodone and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on numerous drug and gun charges.
Sheriff Smith said when people purchase drugs, even marijuana, off the street, they do not truly know what they are getting, and even a small trace of fentanyl can be deadly. Sheriff Smith added that the only safe drugs are those that are purchased from a pharmacy and used as prescribed by a doctor.
