News
Find here an archive of the D.A.’s Press Releases and other News.
District Attorney J. Collin Sims Announces Guilty Pleas in the Murders of Ruth Prats and Father Otis Young
Today, with the agreement of the victims’ families, Antonio Tyson entered pleas of guilty to two counts of first‑degree murder and one count of obstruction of justice in connection with the murders of Ms. Ruth Prats and Father Otis Young. Sentencing has been scheduled...
Pearl River Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Brutal 2023 Slidell Beach Stabbing
District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on April 29, 2026, Joshua Michael Delaughter, 32, of Pearl River, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The mandatory life sentence was handed down by the Honorable Richard A. Swartz following...
Bogalusa Man Convicted of Fentanyl Trafficking and Weapon Possession by a St. Tammany Parish Jury
District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, a St. Tammany Parish jury found 48-year-old James Spikes, Jr., of Bogalusa, Louisiana, guilty of felony charges related to narcotics trafficking and illegal weapon possession. Following a trial...
St. Tammany Jury Convicts Slidell Man for Filing Fraudulent Lien Against Law Enforcement Officer
District Attorney Collin Sims announces that today, a St. Tammany Parish jury found Willie Mack Cauley, 48, of Slidell, guilty of Filing a False Lien Against a Law Enforcement Officer. The trial was held before the Honorable Judge Tara Farris Zeller. The case was...
Washington Parish Inmate Sentenced to 20 Years for Aggravated Battery
District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on April 22, 2026, Carrington Jackson, 34, of Angie, Louisiana, was sentenced to 20 years with the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to Aggravated Second Degree Battery. Jackson was adjudicated as a fourth-time...
Keldric Harry Sentenced to Life in Prison for Fatal Shooting at Bogalusa High School Basketball Game
District Attorney Collin Sims announces that on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, 18-year-old Keldric Harry of Bogalusa was sentenced to Life in prison for the January 2024 shooting that claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy. Following a unanimous guilty verdict returned by a...
St. Tammany Parish Jury Convicts Defendant in Undercover Child Solicitation Operation
District Attorney Collin Sims announced today the successful conviction of Michael Stanley Lang, 56, of Poplarville, Mississippi, for Computer-Aided Solicitation of a Minor. The conviction follows a trial, presided over by the Honorable Judge Richard Swartz. The...
Slidell Man and Quadruple Habitual Offender Sentenced to 20 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Jumping Bail
District Attorney Collin Sims announces that on April 14, 2026, Henry Leymon Gaines, 32, of Slidell, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges and was sentenced as a quadruple habitual offender to 20 years in the Department of Corrections. Gaines pleaded...
District Attorney Collin Sims Announces Long Prison Sentences for Two Defendants in Fentanyl Overdose Death Case
District Attorney Collin Sims announced today that two individuals have been sentenced to significant prison terms in connection with the December 2024 fentanyl-related death of 26-year-old Dustin Banks. Today, Paige Nicole Andrews, 28, of Lacombe, Louisiana, pleaded...
Grand Jury Returns Indictment for Second Degree Murder and Firearm Charges in Washington Parish Shooting
District Attorney Collin Sims announces that a Washington Parish Grand Jury returned a true bill today, indicting Carley Donald Provost II, 47, of Bogalusa, Louisiana, on the following charges: 1 Count of Second Degree Murder 1 Count of Possession of a Firearm by a...