Since its launch on July 8, 2024, the District Attorney’s Office has laid a strong foundation for the Opioid Initiative, a comprehensive effort aimed at combating the opioid epidemic through law enforcement collaboration and intelligence-sharing. What began as a small team of consisting of an investigator with the District Attorney’s Office and two narcotics detectives in Slidell has rapidly expanded into a powerful coalition of agencies working together to dismantle drug networks and prevent overdose deaths.
“We knew from the beginning that addressing the opioid crisis would require a unified approach,” District Attorney Collin Sims stated. “Today, we stand alongside multiple local, state, and federal partners, all committed to making our communities safer.”
The Opioid Initiative now includes:
DEA FORT (Fentanyl Overdose Response Team)
HSI (Homeland Security Investigations)
Slidell Police Department
Covington Police Department
Pearl River Police Department
Mandeville Police Department
St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office
Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office
Bogalusa Police Department
Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
Louisiana State Police Region One Narcotics Task Force
New Orleans Police Department’s Newly Formed Intelligence Group
St. Tammany and Washington Parishes District Attorney’s Office
“The DEA‘s Fentanyl Overdose Response Team is committed to providing unwavering support to our partners and working tirelessly to bring justice for the victims of this devastating epidemic,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Seale. “It’s through these collaborative efforts – leveraging the resources of multiple agencies – that we are seeing real progress on the Northshore and beyond.”
Since October 2024, the initiative has yielded significant results, including 320,000 fentanyl pills seized in and around the St. Tammany area, along with 2 kilograms of pure fentanyl, over $425,000 in cash, 75 firearms, 2 kilograms of heroin, 3 kilograms of methamphetamine, over 600 oxycodone pills, 7000 tapentadol pills, 1 kilogram of cocaine, and various other illegal drugs.
Additionally, the initiative has played a critical role in the prosecution of overdose-related cases. In December of 2024, a St. Tammany jury returned a conviction for 2nd Degree murder in the overdose death of a Covington High School student. The defendant, Felicia Grantham, is set to be sentenced to life in prison on April 14th. In January of 2025, a St. Tammany Parish Grand Jury returned an indictment of two individuals for the charge of Possession with the Intent to Distribute 250 grams or more of Fentanyl. If convicted, these individuals face a sentence of up to life in prison. On March 18, 2025, the District Attorney’s Office secured an indictment of Dayon Dyson for 2nd Degree murder in the overdose death of Washington Parish School Board member, Frankie Crosby. The initiative has also led to indictments in other jurisdictions: one at the federal level and another in the 21st Judicial District.
The District Attorney’s Office has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for opioid distribution related crimes. Drug dealers whose distribution results in fatal overdoses will face second-degree murder charges, as outlined in Louisiana law.
“We will not tolerate those who profit from the suffering of others,” stated Sims. “If you distribute these deadly substances and someone dies as a result, we will pursue charges for second-degree murder.”
The expansion of the Opioid Initiative underscores the District Attorney’s Office’s unwavering commitment to fighting the opioid crisis. By bringing together multiple law enforcement agencies, sharing intelligence, and executing strategic operations, this coalition is making an undeniable impact in the region.
“This is just the beginning,” said Sims. “We will continue to work aggressively, holding fentanyl traffickers accountable and seeking justice for families affected by this crisis.”