FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Tammany Parish Juries Return Guilty Verdicts in Three Trials
October 17, 2024
District Attorney Collin Sims reports three separate juries returned guilty verdicts during trials held this week.
On October 15, 2024, a jury convicted 59-year-old Billy Neidlinger of Slidell for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of methamphetamine. Assistant District Attorneys Taylor Nicholson and Gary Tromblay prosecuted the case. Judge Scott Gardner presided over the trial and is scheduled to sentence Neidlinger on November 8th.
According to testimony during the trial, Deputies Walker Ray and Earl Thomas with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office were patrolling the Slidell area during the morning hours of October 3, 2023, when they were dispatched to a gas station on North Military Road regarding an alleged assault with a firearm. Upon arrival, the deputies came into contact with a female complainant who stated Neidlinger, her ex-boyfriend, had threatened her with a shotgun during an argument at Neidlinger’s Slidell residence the previous night. Deputies relocated to Neidlinger’s residence and made contact with him. Neidlinger acknowledged he and his ex-girlfriend had a disagreement but he denied brandishing a shotgun. Deputies obtained consent to search the residence and found a shotgun concealed in a hallway heating vent. It matched the description given by the ex-girlfriend. Neidlinger admitted knowing the shotgun was in his residence but claimed it belonged to his roommate. Due to previous armed robbery and drug convictions, Neidlinger is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. While interacting with Neidlinger, deputies also discovered he was in possession of a bag of methamphetamine.
On October 16, 2024, a jury deliberated for 40 minutes before finding 36-year-old Corey Griffin of Slidell guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Assistant District Attorneys Amanda Gritten and Tiffany Dover presented the case to the jury with Judge Vinny Lobello presiding.
Witness testimony established that on September 9, 2023, a customer at a Slidell Walmart called 911 and reported observing a male and female conceal merchandise and then leave the store without paying. The customer followed the two individuals as they fled the store on foot. Officers with the Slidell Police Department responded and soon located the couple. When questioned, the female admitted to shoplifting merchandise from Lowe’s but denied taking anything from Walmart. During the encounter with officers, the male, identified as Corey Griffin, discarded a plastic bag under one of the police units. An officer retrieved the bag and found it contained several smaller plastic bags collectively holding over 26 grams of methamphetamine. The quantity and packaging of the drugs were indicative of a distributor. Griffin originally denied ownership of the narcotics but then admitted they were his.
Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Lobello on October 28th. He has multiple prior felony convictions, including domestic abuse battery by strangulation, possession of stolen things, possession of methamphetamine and possession of amphetamine.
On October 16, 2024, a jury returned a guilty verdict against 46-year-old Kenneth Primus of Covington for possession of methamphetamine. Assistant District Attorneys Taylor Nicholson and Gary Tromblay handled the prosecution and Judge Scott Gardner presided over the trial.
Through trial testimony, it was established that on August 31, 2022, officers with the Covington Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence on West Morgan Street in connection with the investigation of a domestic violence incident. While searching the residence, officers found methamphetamine in the defendant’s bedroom. Evidence relevant to the domestic violence incident was also recovered.
Judge Gardner is scheduled to sentence Primus on November 8th. He has prior felony convictions for simple burglary, possession of methamphetamine and possession of alprazolam.