COVINGTON—Alfred Simmons, 39, of Slidell, faces from 20 years to life in prison as an habitual offender after a St. Tammany Parish jury convicted him last week of possessing cocaine and marijuana. The jury deliberated about a half-hour on Thursday (June 2), before finding Simmons guilty of one count each of possession of cocaine and a second offense possession of marijuana.
Simmons has four prior felony convictions: aggravated burglary and armed robbery in 1996, simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling in 2000, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a drug commonly known as Ecstasy in 2008, and possession of cocaine in 2012. He is set for sentencing by District Judge August Hand on July 14. Assistant District Attorney Blake Peters prosecuted the case.
The Slidell Police Department was conducting surveillance of a house on Beechwood Drive in Slidell on March 18, 2015, when officers observed Simmons go there and leave shortly afterward. When Simmons was then stopped for a traffic infraction, officers found large quantities of marijuana, synthetic marijuana, and crack cocaine.