NOPD Eighth District General Assignment officers arrested Roland Thomas (DOB: 5/181989) after undercover detectives discovered he was attempting to sell drugs.
The incident happened on May 4, 2017. At around 11:00 p.m., Eighth District Detectives were working undercover in the 500 block of Bourbon Street in plain clothes when they observed two unknown males involved in conversation. Detectives then observed the two subjects separate from each other, for a moment, while one subject got on his cell phone and made a call to another unidentified person informing the person on the phone that the subject, later identified as Roland Thomas, "has weed and coke" on him for sale. That conversation took place right in front of the undercover detectives.
The detectives then identified themselves as NOPD officers to both subjects and conducted a pat-down search of Thomas for officer safety. The detective immediately located a fully loaded Phoenix Model HP22A, .22 caliber, within Thomas' front jacket pocket. Detectivesl then secured the weapon while the other detectives secured Thomas advising him he was under arrest.
Through further investigation, detectives located about 20 individual clear bags containing vegetable matter believed to be marijuana which weighed a total of 17 grams . Officers also discovered Thomas to be a convicted felon while on parole for a drug law violation in Jefferson Parish.
The other male subject was also stopped as part of the investigation and was not found not to be in possession of any illegal narcotics but did admit to the conversation he had with Thomas.
Thomas was booked accordingly at Central Lockup. Thomas is charged with the following:
R.S. 40:966 Relative to Possession with the intent to Distribute a Schedule I CDS to wit Marijuana
R.S. 14:95.1 Relative to Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
R.S. 14:95 Relative to Illegal Carrying of a Concealed Weapon-Gun
R.S. 14:95 Relative to Illegal Possession of Illegal Narcotics while in Possession of a Concealed Weapon-Gun
Citizens with information that can help solve a crime are asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free 1-877-903-STOP.