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LAPLACE, La. (WGNO) – The St. John Parish Sheriff’s Department has seized over 110,000 Xanax pills and made 9 arrests in what they are calling a national distributing operation.

Two separate locations were raided in the investigation.

The first raid, at a home in the 100 block of Fern Court, netted 100,000 of the pills and led to the arrest 2 people.

They are identified as 23-year-old Matthew Helms and 26-year-old Megan De St. Germaine.

The second raid, at a home in the 500 block of Walnut Street, netted another 10,400 pills and the arrest of 24-year-old Brandon Zar.

Detectives say that they were able to secure warrants and arrest 7 more suspects.

  • They are: 20-year-old Austin Hammond of Laplace
  • 20-year-old Courtney Simon of Laplace
  • 23-year-old Joshua Sutton of Laplace
  • 22-year-old Katie Cahill of Laplace
  • 20-year-old Michael Keller of St. James
  • 51-year-old Pamela De St. Germaine of Laplace

All of the suspects face various drug related charges.

Deputies also say that Matthew Helms has been arrested 5 times since November 2010 in St. John Parish.