Three New Orleans evacuees jailed on drug charges

WWLTV ^ | 11/04/2005 | Associated Press

[LA Woman3]

NORCROSS, GA -- Gwinnett County police have jailed three Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans, charging that they were selling crack cocaine from a hotel room paid for with government relief funds.

Ronald Michael Claude, 22; Gary Lee Leonard, 23; and Michael Joseph Sanson, 20, all of New Orleans, remained jailed without bond Thursday. There were also charged with possession of marijuana.

"They thought the government owed it (cash) to them. They were all quite boastful about it," police spokesman Officer Darren Moloney said.

Officials at the Red Cross and FEMA, which have distributed millions to help storm victims, said most aid recipients have used the donations properly.

"We can't control how people spend their assistance money," said FEMA spokeswoman Susie Webb, who works at the agency's regional offices in Atlanta.

FEMA has handled claims from more than 46,000 families who fled Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and settled in Georgia, Webb said.

[LA Woman3]

"They thought the government owed it (cash) to them. They were all quite boastful about it," police spokesman Officer Darren Moloney said.

[stuckinloozeeana]

What? I can't believe this!

[talleyman]

Why am I not surprised?...

[Semper Paratus]

New Orleans evacuees are resembling the Cuban throw-aways from the Mariel boatlift.

[BenLurkin]

Actually pretty typical.


The attitide at least.

[PAR35]

Gwinnett County ... crack cocaine

Wonder if they were reading "The Purpose Driven Life"?

[txroadhawg]

And this is news?

[austinaero]

Send them to France!

[mtbopfuyn]

Ha, I knew they were financing it with our taxpayer's dollars just from the headline.

[ncountylee]

ROFLMAO

[mtbopfuyn]

We can't control how people spend their assistance money

Sorta like how we can't control government spending. Vote one out and a worse one takes their place.

[EagleUSA]

Nagin's finest.

[LA Woman3]

Another LA drug story....

http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=4074006

Alleged Drug Dealer Caught With Hundreds...in Change

Eunice,La. (AP) - A suspected drug dealer was caught with about 14-hundred dollars. That's not unusual, except it was all in pennies, nickels and dimes. Laura Balthazar, chief deputy for the Saint Landry parish sheriff, says people are desperate, using their last penny to get their fix. Twenty-three-year-old Jim Austin Lewis was arrested by sheriff's deputies and Eunice police at his home after authorities had received public complaints. He was booked with possessing and intending to distribute crack cocaine and marijuana, along with firearms charges.

[joey'smom]

Only three????????????

[cgbg]

So Congress gave these people money and they bought drugs with it.

So can't we now throw all the Congress Critters in jail as accessories? :-)

[LA Woman3]

Only three????????????

Yesterday....

[LA Woman3]

So can't we now throw all the Congress Critters in jail as accessories? :-)

Wouldn't that save the world!?

[CajunConservative]

LOL, times really are bad in the good state of Louisiana.

As to the topic of the OP, I get the Atlanta stations on my dishtv and well, this isn't just a problem here. The way things are being reported you would swear that there is absolutely no crime or corruption anywhere else.

[LA Woman3]

You are right. The spotlight is really bright here now....
At least we don't have the high speed car chases like Los Angeles does!!

[newfrpr04]

Then they should give them vouchers for food,clothing, rent instead of the cash. Every state who has jailed LA citizens should ship them back to LA jails, why should they incur cost to jail these people.