August 2022 was a benchmark month for the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s office.
It began on an upbeat note August 9, when our office was honored as a recipient of the Community Foundation of Acadiana’s third annual Leaders in Law Enforcement Awards. Aside from the honor, a plaque and a splendid lunch for staffers in Lafayette, our office received $35,000 in recognition of initiatives begun or expanded by our office, including Exit Strategy, a diversion programa whose goal is to curtail sex trafficking, which stems from the I-49 corridor that allows easy transportation of human trafficking victims to Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta.
Other awardees were the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s office and Louisiana State Police Troop D, which covers Calcasieu, Cameron, Allen, Jefferson Davis and Beauregard parishes in southwest Louisiana.
It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the employees of our office in being selected above all the other 40 plus DA’s offices in the state.
Our office’s assistant district attorneys delivered many guilty verdicts, protecting the parish’s citizens. Our court’s judges also meted out sentences, delivering final justice for the victims of crime.
Jeremy Walker, 36, found guilty as charged of two counts of first-degree rape July 27, was sentenced August 8 by Caddo District Judge Chris Victory. Walker’s consecutive life sentences must be served at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.
On or about December 24, 2014 through December 14, 2015, Walker had anal and oral sex with one child, who was 7 at the time, on occasions when the boy was at the babysitter. When that victim was 13, he told his aunt what had happened to him. The child later disclosed that he also had seen Walker force the babysitter’s son to perform oral sex on Walker. That child disclosed to his mother that Walker had oral and anal sex with him when he was age 5.
Walker was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kodie K. Smith and Brittany Arvie.
A Shreveport man charged with two counts of possession of a firearm despite previous felony convictions pleaded guilty in Caddo District Court August 8 and was immediately sentenced.
Christopher Wade Green, 32, pleaded guilty to both charges of being a felon in possess of a firearm just after the state announced it was ready to commence Green’s jury trial in District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s court. Sentencing, at the discretion of the court, resulted in Judge Emanuel ordering Green to serve five years at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence on each count, with the terms to be served concurrently.
He faced at least five and up to 20 years in prison at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence and a fine of at least $1,000 and up to $5,000.
Late August 26, 2021, Louisiana State Police troopers conducted a traffic stop and while identifying the occupants learned that Christopher Green had previous felony convictions, for simple burglary in 2012 and aggravated criminal property damage in 2015. Green admitted there were firearms in the vehicle, and troopers recovered a concealed AR-style pistol by his feet and a .22-caliber handgun between the passenger seat and the center console. He admitted knowledge of the firearms, and also admitted he knew he could not possess them due to his criminal history.
Green was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Fernando Grider.
A Shreveport man facing trial in Caddo District Court pleaded guilty to different charges of third-offense DWI and a separate pending charge of resisting a police officer with force or violence.
On Wednesday, August 10, one day after a six-person jury had been selected for one of the felony DWI trials in District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s courtroom, but just before opening statements, defendant Chad Presley Hays, 47, pleaded guilty to all charges.
Judge Emanuel immediately sentenced Hays on both of the DWI 3rd offenses: Five years in prison at hard labor, with at least one year to be served without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. Hays also was sentenced to one year at hard labor for resisting an officer with force or violence, with six months in the parish jail in lieu of fines and court costs. The court ordered all of Hays’ sentences to be served concurrently.
Hays first was stopped for speeding late April 5, 2019 by Shreveport police, who smelled alcohol, despite Hays denying drinking. He refused all forms of testing for DWI but showed signs of impairment, including slurred speech and reddened glassy eyes. Additionally, two bottles of 99 proof alcohol were in his vehicle. After his arrest, police learned that Hays had two DWI convictions within the previous decade.
On June 22, 2019, police again stopped Hays on suspicion of DWI. Again, he showed obvious signs of impairment, including a strong odor of alcohol and slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet. He again refused all DWI testing and was subsequently arrested.
Then on February 1, 2021, Hays was asked by management to leave a Shreveport bar, but refused to do so. An SPD officer arrived on scene and attempted to handcuff him, but Hays violently resisted arrest, head-butting an officer in the process.
Hays was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Fernando Grider and Senae D. Hall.
A Shreveport man scheduled for a jury trial pleaded guilty in Caddo District Court August 15 to domestic abuse battery.
Yorick Henderson, 31, was sentenced to a decade in prison at hard labor by Caddo District Judge John D. Mosely Jr. for fourth-offense domestic abuse battery. Henderson admitted to the October 29, 2021 incident where he slapped and pushed his girlfriend in the presence of two minor children. He and the adult victim had been dating about six months.
Henderson, who was scheduled for a jury trial August 22, had three prior convictions for domestic abuse battery against different women.
In addition to the 10-year prison term, Judge Mosely issued a permanent protective order in favor of the victim.
The prosecutor was Assistant District Attorney Britney A. Green.
A Caddo Parish jury found a Shreveport man guilty of attempted rape August 10, after domestic incidents that occurred between April 19, 2010 and April 18, 2011.
The seven-woman, five-man jury in District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr.’s court deliberated four hours before returning its finding of attempted aggravated rape.
Roosevelt Horton, 58, of the 700 block of Woodmont Place in Hyde Park, sexually assaulted a preteen female relative, and threatened to harm the victim if she told anyone of the assault. The child told Horton’s spouse, who cautioned the girl to not speak of the incident. Horton’s spouse died before the assault came to light.
When the victim was 16, she attempted suicide, at which time a friend in whom she had confided reported the assault to the victim’s mother. Shreveport police were notified, and after an investigation secured an arrest warrant for aggravated rape against Horton.
Horton was sentenced by District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr. August 17 to 50 years in prison at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. He also was ordered to register as a sex offender.
Prosecutors were Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman, Victoria Washington and Courtney Ray.
A Shreveport man who terrorized a local family just over two years ago was sentenced to 25 years in prison August 18.
District Judge John D. Mosely Jr. sentenced Davario Xavier Cole, 23, also known as “Nucci,” to 25 years for attempted second-degree murder, 15 years for aggravated criminal damage to property and 20 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Cole was convicted on these counts in Judge Mosely’s court July 28. The sentences are to be served concurrently.
In the morning hours of June 16, 2020, the victim’s house was shot at multiple times from the street. The victim and her family suspected Cole, who had been sending threatening messages that he would kill the victim’s daughter, who was his estranged girlfriend. Later that morning, Cole returned to the residence brandishing a firearm with an extended magazine and confronted the victim’s brother. The brother and his family were afraid they would be shot and retreated into the residence, at which point Cole made a U-turn and shot at the home at least one more time.
Cole had a prior conviction for unauthorized entry of the victim’s home, which prohibited him from being there or owning or possessing a firearm. While incarcerated, Cole sent messages in which he threatened to kill every member of his estranged girlfriend’s family and anyone that got in between them. He also stated on a recorded line that anyone that talked about him also would die.
Cole was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Sam Crichton and Cheyenne Wilson.
A Shreveport teen who shot two people at a west Shreveport motel in July 2020 was found guilty of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, as well as a lesser charge, aggravated assault with a firearm, in Caddo District Court August 24.
Derion Deshun Jamison, 19, was found guilty of the charges by the nine-woman, three-man jury in District Judge Chris Victory’s court. The jury deliberated about 90 minutes before delivering its verdict, after hearing the facts of the shootings that occurred July 19, 2020, at the Country Inn Suites hotel on Hollywood Avenue near Shreveport Regional Airport.
That day, the victims, along with family members, drove to Shreveport from Rayville to visit Splash Kingdom. Returning from the water park, the victims returned to their hotel, where one victim came into contact with a girl who asked him about his tattoos. Jamison, who was present, got into an argument with the victim, which did not turn violent. A short while later, the victim saw Jamison outside. The victim who ultimately died, 22-year-old Ha’Shoun Ka’Keem Collins, came back to the hotel later to speak with Jamison about the earlier argument. After a brief conversation, Jamison and Collins shook hands and separated. However, Jamison then commented to Collins that he felt disrespected, pulled out a 9-mm handgun and shot Collins in the chest, killing him. Jamison then shot the victim he had argued with earlier in the chest as well, as well as a third man, Collins’ brother. Those two victims survived and, along with witnesses, picked Jamison out of lineups. Ballistic evidence confirmed later that a gun found in the car Jamison used to flee police had fired the bullets in the shootings.
Jamison is scheduled to return to Judge Victory’s court September 12, where he faces a mandatory life sentence at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Jamison was prosecuted by Kodie K. Smith and Victoria Washington.
In Juvenile court, a 14-year-old male was convicted of armed robbery in connection with the recent Pierremont Place/Fern Avenue carjacking, and received a sentence of 3 years in secured care from Juvenile Court Judge Ree Casey-Jones. Another male, 15, was convicted of armed robbery in connection with another recent carjacking and was sentenced to 3 years in secured care, also from Judge Casey-Jones. His carjacking co-defendant, another 15-year-old male, was found guilty of felony possession of a stolen car and also received a sentence of 3 years in secured care by Judge Casey-Jones.
A 14-year-old male was convicted of third-degree rape and was sentenced to 3 years in secured care from Judge Casey-Jones.
All cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jerry Deason, Jr.
Finally, our Grand Jury returned four true bills in its session ending August 16.
Three indictments were in connection with recent homicides, with one of those carrying an added weapons charge. A fourth indictment was issued regarding a man charged with being an accessory after-the-fact to a murder.
Charlene Henderson, 43, of Shreveport, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the May 16 slaying of Larry Clark. Mr. Clark, 45, Ms. Henderson’s husband, was shot in the head and killed at a residence on Regent Street in Shreveport’s Ingleside neighborhood. Henderson also is charged with possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon.
Tiffany Lynn Moore, 30, of Vivian, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the June 23 stabbing death of her boyfriend, Shannon Schoen. Schoen, 50, was stabbed in the chest at his residence in the 200 block of East Texas Avenue in Vivian.
Thomas Office, 20, of Shreveport, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the April 30 shooting of Jared Robert Pelletier. Mr. Pelletier, 28, of Shreveport, was shot in the head in the 200 block of Prospect Street. He died from his wound May 4.
Elijah Rich Williams, 22, of Shreveport, is charged with being an accessory after-the-fact with regard to the Pelletier murder alleged to have been committed by Thomas Office. Williams is accused of harboring or rendering aid to Office between April 30, 2022, and May 4, 2022.
Have a happy Labor Day holiday, and safe travels for all of you on the road.
James E. Stewart, Sr.
Caddo Parish District Attorney
Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office | August 2022