The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has taken action against two individuals following an investigation into illegal activities in Avoyelles Parish. According to the official release on the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website, agents arrested William J. Tanner, 50, of Evergreen, and Jasmine D. Jolla, 30, of Baton Rouge, on February 7 for various offenses including illegal drug possession and illicit hunting practices.
Diving into the specifics of the charges, Tanner faced accusations of a considerable magnitude, as detailed in the LDWF statement: he confronted allegations of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon illegal possession of anabolic steroids, and possession of drug paraphernalia as well as the more unique charges of hunting while under hunting license suspension and the taking of alligators during a closed season, including the illegal possession of the alligators, their eggs, or skins. Jolla's arrest pertained to possession of methamphetamines along with drug paraphernalia. The investigations into these wrongdoing commenced after the agency received a tip in January of 2025, pointing them towards potential alligator poaching that supposedly took place in June of the previous year.
Upon intercepting Tanner's vehicle with Jolla as a passenger, officers spotted drug paraphernalia readily visible inside the truck prompting a search that uncovered the assortment of illegal items. The substances and paraphernalia found in Tanner's truck didn't only include the visible drug items but tanned alligator skins as well, and not to forget, Tanner was apprehended in possession of a firearm, not a light charge considering his status as a convicted felon.
The legal repercussions these two face are not insignificant, with fines ranging from a few hundred up to $5,000 and possible jail time between mere days for some offences, all the way up to twenty years for others, particularly for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a statement that really doesn't do justice to the potential impact of that kind of incarceration on a life. Furthermore, Tanner may also have to contend with civil restitution, precisely $752 to be exact, for the alligators he illegally appropriated. The agents cited in this successful crackdown included Sgt. Douglas Anderson Jr., Senior Agent Callie Pitre, Senior Agent Lane Causey, and Agent Lane Devillier, whose collective efforts have emphasized the LDWF’s ongoing commitment to enforcing wildlife conservation laws and drug regulations within the state of Louisiana.
