District Attorney J. Collin Sims reports that on May 28, 2026, a St. Tammany Parish jury found 52-year-old Earl James Lingo of Slidell, Louisiana, guilty on multiple felony drug and firearm convictions. Following a trial presided over by the Honorable Judge Alan M. Black, Lingo was officially convicted of:
- 9 counts of illegal possession of a weapon while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance (to wit, methamphetamine);
- 1 count of illegal possession of methamphetamine (between 2 and 28 grams);
- 1 count of illegal possession of psilocybin; and
- 1 count of illegal possession of suboxone.
Following the verdict, Judge Black remanded Lingo to the custody of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sentencing has been formally scheduled for June 15, 2026.
The convictions are the result of an August 2, 2023, operation conducted by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division at Lingo’s trailer residence in Slidell. Detectives initially conducted a “knock and talk” at the home following reports of methamphetamine distribution. Upon securing and executing a search warrant, authorities uncovered narcotics scattered throughout the home and a massive cache of weapons – including shotguns, rifles, and handguns.
During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Whitworth emphasized the lethal volatility of combining narcotics with such an extensive arsenal.
“It’s a crime to possess magic mushrooms at the same time you possess guns,” ADA Whitworth told the jury. “The level of possession of dangerous drugs and all those weapons is a problem.”
Despite having previously claimed ownership of the firearms and a locked safe containing methamphetamine during his post-Miranda interview, Lingo took the stand during trial to deny knowledge of the illegal contraband.
Assistant District Attorney Luke Lancaster strictly rebuked the defendant’s sudden pivot, forcefully addressing the jury about the deception.
“For him to suggest to all of you that he had no knowledge of the drugs in his house is asinine, and you all should be insulted,” ADA Lancaster stated in his closing remarks. “Suggesting these officers would put their entire careers on the line for Earl Lingo…does that make any sense? No. Earl Lingo got up there and lied to you the entire time. He blatantly lied – so you can disregard his entire testimony.”
Following the guilty verdicts, District Attorney Collin Sims commended his trial team and the responding deputies for their commitment to holding armed drug offenders accountable.
“When you flood a home with high-powered weapons and illicit, mind-altering narcotics, you create an incredibly dangerous environment for our communities and our responding law enforcement officers,” DA Sims said. “The jury saw straight through the defendant’s desperate fabrications on the witness stand. I am proud of ADAs Lancaster and Whitworth for their exceptional work in securing this conviction, and we extend our gratitude to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office for their thorough and diligent investigation.”
Lingo will remain held without bond at the St. Tammany Parish Jail until his June 15 sentencing hearing.