BELLE CHASSE, LA (WVUE) -
Six Belle Chasse residents are jailed in connection with a case that has lots of twists and turns.
It started off as an alleged kidnapping, then the discovery of a meth lab and suspects with ties to an outlawed motorcycle gang.
The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office said an 18-year-old man was kidnapped, beaten and held in a barn on Walker Road in Belle Chasse last week.
"It's scary," said Rathey Encalade, who was cleaning up trees in front of her mother's home on Walker Road.
The victim told deputies he was working near the barn when 38-year-old David Bruce allegedly confronted him about whether he was under the influence of drugs, and told him he would contact his uncle, 37-year-old Gregory Blanchard, who lived on the opposite side of LA 23 on E. Walker Road.
"The victim became scared and contacted the sheriff's office and waited at the roadway because it's a little isolated area," said public information officer Commander Eric Becnel.
Becnel said as the teen waited for deputies to arrive, things got worse for him.
"Mr. Bruce, Mr. Blanchard and Mr. [Michael ]Hahn returned to the location, they battered him -actually Mr. Blanchard struck him three times in the face. While he was on the ground, Mr. Hahn kicked him and they actually dragged him off to a barn," said Becnel.
He said David Bruce tried to mislead deputies by telling them they had arrived at the wrong location.
"After the deputies left, Mr. Bruce went back to the barn where the victim was tied up in a chair with a rope, and Mr. Bruce actually strangled the victim, allegedly until he passed out," Becnel said.
But the deputy followed his gut and returned to the barn area.
"The three suspects informed the deputy that he had actually suffered a seizure from the drug intoxication," said Becnel.
Becnel said a day later, the teenager told authorities he wanted to tell the whole story about some of his alleged attackers.
"The victim became scared for his safety because of connections to the outlawed motorcycle gang that Mr. Blanchard and Mr. Hahn are members of, as well as high-ranking members of a local motorcycle gang here in Plaquemines Parish," said Becnel.
He said the local motorcycle gang is called the LA Riders.
"Which is a support club of the Bandidos motorcycle club," said Becnel.
He said the FBI has named the Bandidos an "outlaw motorcycle gang."
"We were keeping them under our tabs and tracking their movements," Becnel said.
The news was hard to digest in the community.
"There's only a couple of people that live back here, so, I mean, usually no kind of commotion," said Encalade.
On Sept. 18, investigators got a search warrant for Blanchard's trailer, and they did not leave empty-handed.
"We recovered evidence of a meth lab that was being run there, as well as recovered four firearms," Becnel said.
Blanchard was booked with simple kidnapping, false imprisonment, second-degree battery, operating a clandestine meth lab and possession of firearms with a controlled dangerous substance.
Hahn was booked with simple kidnapping, false imprisonment, second-degree battery, operating a clandestine meth lab, possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a sawed-off rifle.
Bruce was arrested on a second-degree battery charge.
Lyndsey Fannin was booked with operating a clandestine meth lab, possession of drug paraphernalia and an outstanding NOPD warrant.
Brandon Franklin and Amanda Blanchard were booked with operating a clandestine meth lab.
http://www.wafb.com/story/26631366/allegations-of-kidnapping-meth-making-and-an-outlawed-gang-in-belle-chasse
Six Belle Chasse residents are jailed in connection with a case that has lots of twists and turns.
It started off as an alleged kidnapping, then the discovery of a meth lab and suspects with ties to an outlawed motorcycle gang.
The Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office said an 18-year-old man was kidnapped, beaten and held in a barn on Walker Road in Belle Chasse last week.
"It's scary," said Rathey Encalade, who was cleaning up trees in front of her mother's home on Walker Road.
The victim told deputies he was working near the barn when 38-year-old David Bruce allegedly confronted him about whether he was under the influence of drugs, and told him he would contact his uncle, 37-year-old Gregory Blanchard, who lived on the opposite side of LA 23 on E. Walker Road.
"The victim became scared and contacted the sheriff's office and waited at the roadway because it's a little isolated area," said public information officer Commander Eric Becnel.
Becnel said as the teen waited for deputies to arrive, things got worse for him.
"Mr. Bruce, Mr. Blanchard and Mr. [Michael ]Hahn returned to the location, they battered him -actually Mr. Blanchard struck him three times in the face. While he was on the ground, Mr. Hahn kicked him and they actually dragged him off to a barn," said Becnel.
He said David Bruce tried to mislead deputies by telling them they had arrived at the wrong location.
"After the deputies left, Mr. Bruce went back to the barn where the victim was tied up in a chair with a rope, and Mr. Bruce actually strangled the victim, allegedly until he passed out," Becnel said.
But the deputy followed his gut and returned to the barn area.
"The three suspects informed the deputy that he had actually suffered a seizure from the drug intoxication," said Becnel.
Becnel said a day later, the teenager told authorities he wanted to tell the whole story about some of his alleged attackers.
"The victim became scared for his safety because of connections to the outlawed motorcycle gang that Mr. Blanchard and Mr. Hahn are members of, as well as high-ranking members of a local motorcycle gang here in Plaquemines Parish," said Becnel.
He said the local motorcycle gang is called the LA Riders.
"Which is a support club of the Bandidos motorcycle club," said Becnel.
He said the FBI has named the Bandidos an "outlaw motorcycle gang."
"We were keeping them under our tabs and tracking their movements," Becnel said.
The news was hard to digest in the community.
"There's only a couple of people that live back here, so, I mean, usually no kind of commotion," said Encalade.
On Sept. 18, investigators got a search warrant for Blanchard's trailer, and they did not leave empty-handed.
"We recovered evidence of a meth lab that was being run there, as well as recovered four firearms," Becnel said.
Blanchard was booked with simple kidnapping, false imprisonment, second-degree battery, operating a clandestine meth lab and possession of firearms with a controlled dangerous substance.
Hahn was booked with simple kidnapping, false imprisonment, second-degree battery, operating a clandestine meth lab, possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a sawed-off rifle.
Bruce was arrested on a second-degree battery charge.
Lyndsey Fannin was booked with operating a clandestine meth lab, possession of drug paraphernalia and an outstanding NOPD warrant.
Brandon Franklin and Amanda Blanchard were booked with operating a clandestine meth lab.
http://www.wafb.com/story/26631366/allegations-of-kidnapping-meth-making-and-an-outlawed-gang-in-belle-chasse