From left: Arlander Celius, Samuel Taylor III and Jonathan Baham
Today (September 27, 2017), the NOPD and the FBI New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force arrested Arlander Celius (DOB: 07-22-1994), Samuel Taylor III (DOB: 08-02-1994) and Jonathan Baham (BM, 10-12-1993) on burglary charges, while also arresting one of the suspects for a bank robbery that occurred on General DeGaulle Drive and reportedly intervening minutes before another bank robbery was set to occur.
At about 9:10 a.m., Second District officers responded to a call of three unknown black males reportedly committing a burglary at an abandoned residence in the 8300 block of Cohn Street. Upon arrival, officers observed three individuals – later identified as Celius, Baham and Taylor – at the location wearing heavy, dark-colored clothing believed to be used to camouflage their appearance. The subjects were also found to be in possession of masks made of cloth and duct tape, believed to be used to conceal their faces. A search of the structure revealed a 12-gauge shotgun inside of a center room, as well as a handgun.
The three subjects were placed under arrest and transported to the Second District station for interviews. During that time, detectives were able to link evidence found at the scene to the commission of an armed robbery of a bank that occurred in the 3500 block of General DeGaulle Drive on September 7, 2017. Upon this discovery, detectives contacted the FBI New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force.
Further investigation revealed that all three subjects were reportedly conspiring to rob a bank on South Carrollton Avenue, but that officers arrived at the Cohn Street location minutes before the robbery was set to occur. In addition, evidence gathered during investigation aided in detectives developing Taylor as the perpetrator in the General DeGaulle bank robbery.
Celius was charged with simple burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and simple criminal damage to property in the Cohn Street incident.
Baham and Taylor were each charged with simple burglary and simple criminal damage to property in the Cohn Street incident. Taylor was also arrested on federal bank robbery charges in the General DeGaulle Drive incident.
All three individuals were taken into federal custody and face pending charges of conspiracy to commit bank robbery.
Anyone with information on the burglary incident is asked to contact Second District detectives at 504-658-6020.
Anyone with additional information on the bank robbery incident is asked to contact the FBI’s New Orleans Field Office at 504-816-3000.