District Attorney J. Collin Sims announces that on October 13, 2026, a St. Tammany Parish jury found 37-year-old Byron Jamal Watson, of New Orleans, Louisiana, guilty as charged of simple robbery following a trial before the Honorable Judge Scott Gardner. Assistant District Attorneys Caitlin Rodzik and Iain Dover prosecuted the case on behalf of the State.
The conviction stems from an incident on November 7, 2025, at the Fidelity Bank located on Gause Boulevard in Slidell. Watson, disguised, waited until the bank lobby was clear of customers, then approached a teller with a note and shouted, “This is a robbery!” He fled with $2,900 in cash as employees watched him run down the street toward Rosalind Avenue.
The Slidell Police Department (SPD) quickly responded and established a perimeter. While searching the vicinity on Rosalind Drive, Detectives discovered a fresh tire mark and a puddle of liquid where a getaway vehicle had been parked. Detectives obtained surveillance video from a nearby building at Rosalind and Frederick Drive showing a silver Jeep Liberty running a stop sign at 3:43 PM – just minutes after the robbery – with no other moving vehicles in the area during that timeframe.
Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) searches conducted by SPD led Detectives to locate an image of a silver Jeep Liberty without a license plate entering Interstate 10 at Gause Boulevard at 3:47 PM. Although the plate was missing, the vehicle displayed a distinctive rear window sticker. Detectives were later provided an ALPR image of a Jeep bearing the exact same sticker, registered to Watson. Further investigation revealed that Watson’s physical description matched that of the robber and that Watson had two prior bank robbery convictions. An arrest warrant was subsequently obtained.
During opening remarks, ADA Caitlin Rodzik emphasized the strength of the circumstantial evidence presented to the jury, stating:
“The evidence will show that it is Byron Watson behind that disguise. Who is Byron Watson? He’s a convicted bank robber. If you’re going to get caught because of a bank robbery where you were identified by your neck tattoos, you might want to wear a neck brace next time you want to rob a bank.”
District Attorney Collin Sims commended the joint law enforcement effort that brought Watson to justice:
“Byron Watson has a long history of committing bank robberies across multiple jurisdictions outside of St. Tammany Parish. He thought he could bring his criminal activities into our community and escape accountability, but he was wrong. Thanks to the thorough, relentless investigation by law enforcement, we have finally put a stop to his serial criminal career. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the Slidell Police Department, specifically Detective Louis Pellissier, as well as the Louisiana State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their exceptional teamwork and commitment to keeping St. Tammany Parish safe.”
Sentencing is scheduled for November 2, 2026, before Judge Scott Gardner. Watson’s prior criminal record includes four bank robberies, one aggravated robbery, and an aggravated flight. Due to his extensive felony record, Watson faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.