What started as a routine traffic stop in Boutte on Thursday turned into a sizable narcotics haul, with deputies reporting roughly 770 THC vape cartridges, pills identified as tapentadol hydrochloride and $5,583 in cash. Three people, 20-year-old Cole Charpentier, 19-year-old Laurie Jo Billiot and 23-year-old Demi Pitre, were taken into custody and now face drug charges, according to officials. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office said the case remains under investigation as evidence is catalogued.
According to WDSU, deputies with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office said the stop in Boutte turned up approximately 770 vape cartridges containing THC, tapentadol hydrochloride pills and $5,583 in cash. The station reports the items were photographed and seized as evidence while investigators processed the scene. WDSU's account cites a sheriff's office media release outlining the seizure and arrests.
In its media archive, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office named the arrestees and said the three face possession-with-intent-to-distribute marijuana charges along with other drug counts. The release did not give a street address for the stop or say whether any weapons were found. The sheriff's office posted the release to its public archive for reference.
Tapentadol Is a Schedule II Opioid
Tapentadol hydrochloride is listed as a Schedule II controlled substance under federal regulations, meaning it is a regulated opioid with a high potential for abuse. The eCFR's Schedule II list explicitly includes tapentadol (code 9780), underscoring why possession or distribution of the pills can bring serious legal exposure.
Why Vape Seizures Matter
Illicit THC cartridges are untested and can contain unknown additives or contaminants that pose health risks, public health officials caution. During the 2019 outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked many severe cases to black-market THC cartridges and additives such as vitamin E acetate, and officials continue to warn against nonregulated vape products.
Legal Implications
Per WDSU, the three suspects were booked on possession with intent to distribute marijuana and other drug offenses; distribution of a Schedule II opioid like tapentadol can bring additional penalties under state and federal law. Prosecutors will decide whether more serious charges are warranted as lab testing and case review continue.
The sheriff's office has published multiple recent media releases detailing traffic-stop seizures and narcotics arrests as part of its interdiction efforts on parish roadways. Officials asked anyone with information to contact the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers, the release says.
