[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish sheriff's deputies make six marijuana distribution arrests

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Parish sheriff's deputies make six marijuana distribution
arrests

  By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 
on March 20, 2013 at 1:26 PM, updated March 20, 2013 at 1:55 PM Print

The St. Bernard Parish sheriff's narcotics unit made six marijuana
distribution arrests during the past week, Sheriff James Pohlmann announced
on Wednesday. Deputies pulled over three New Orleans family members,
apparently on their way to shop at the Wal-Mart in Chalmette, for running a
red light and found 5.4 ounces of marijuana, worth $3,900 on the street, a
shotgun hidden under a pile of clothes and $1,991 in cash in the vehicle,
according to the Sheriff's Office.

Deputies apparently could smell the raw marijuana as they approached the car
about 11 a.m. Friday (March 15) on West Judge Perez Drive in Arabi. They
were given consent to search, Pohlmann said.

The shotgun apparently belonged to the driver, Maurice Rothschild, 20, of
the 1900 block of Iberville Street, according to the Sheriff's Office. His
mother, Angela Rothschild, 42, who lived with him, and his sister, Tiffani
Pratcher, 21, of the 1600 block of Painters Street, also were in the vehicle
and arrested.

The women allegedly claimed the money was from a recent income tax return
check.

The family was booked with possession of marijuana with intent to
distribute, possession of a firearm while possessing a controlled dangerous
substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. The driver also was booked
with driving with a suspended license and with several traffic offenses.

In an unrelated case the same day, the narcotics unit followed up on a tip
about marijuana dealing at an apartment complex in Violet. About 3:15 p.m.
Friday, two men and a woman were arrested there and deputies seized 6.1
ounces of high-grade marijuana, worth about $4,350 on the street, according
to the Sheriff's Office.

The marijuana was packaged in numerous small plastic bags. Deputies also
recovered about $1,600 in cash.

The three arrests were made at apartments on the 2600 block of Angelique
Drive. Arthur Pierce, 46, Martin Dippold, 28, and Mindy Sistrunk, 26, each
were booked with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and
possession of drug paraphernalia.