Bogalusa Fourth Offender Sentenced To 80 Years in Prison Without Parole for Fentanyl Trafficking and Weapon Charges
COVINGTON, La. - Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott and District Attorney J. Collin Sims announced that James Spikes, Jr., 48, of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 15, 2026, by the Honorable Judge Scott Gardner to 80 years in prison without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Spikes was recently convicted by a St. Tammany Parish jury on felony charges related to fentanyl trafficking and illegal weapon possession following a trial before the Honorable Judge Scott Gardner.
Judge Gardner sentenced Spikes to serve 80 years in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More but Less than 250 Grams of Fentanyl. He was additionally sentenced to 20 years in prison for Carrying a Concealed Weapon (brass knuckles) by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies. Both sentences are to be served without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and will run concurrently. Spikes was officially adjudicated as a fourth felony offender. Assistant District Attorneys Gary Tromblay and Jay Adair prosecuted the case.
"Fentanyl is a poison that continues to threaten the safety of our families and our community," DA Sims said. "This defendant was trafficking a significant quantity of these deadly pills while armed with brass knuckles - an illegal weapon in the hands of a convicted felon. My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting those who bring these dangerous substances into our district, and this 80-year sentence ensures a habitual offender will no longer endanger our streets."
The case originated from a proactive enforcement operation on August 18, 2024, along Highway 36 in Covington. A Deputy with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Spikes. During the stop, deputies recovered brass knuckles from Spikes’ person. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a backpack containing a concealed container with 963 fentanyl pills, totaling approximately 135 grams.
During the trial, the State presented undercover videos as evidence of the defendant's involvement in narcotics distribution. In one of the recordings shown to the jury, Spikes was heard boasting that he could obtain as many as 30,000 fentanyl pills.
The case was investigated by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Louisiana State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
