District Attorney Campaign | Jim Colvin For DA

On July 1, 2025, Shemarcus Lewis of Shreveport shot and killed his ex-wife, Rochelle Lewis of Haynesville, while their two minor children were in the family home on Spring Street in Haynesville, Louisiana. Shemarcus Lewis had been previously released from prison in Caddo Parish on Caddo domestic abuse charges involving his ex-wife and was under a Caddo Parish domestic protective order that prohibited him from being near his ex-wife.

Earlier during the day of July 1, 2025, Shemarcus Lewis purchased a Stoeger 9mm pistol second hand, along with a box of cartridges; and at approximately 10:00 p.m. that same evening, he knocked on the door of his ex-wife’s Spring Street home, walked past his then 14-year-old daughter, and entered the back bathroom where he shot his ex-wife multiple times. After leaving the house, he led police on a high-speed chase that ended with him wrecking his car in the median of I-20 near the Dixie Inn exit. While police were approaching the vehicle, Shemarcus Lewis attempted to take his own life with the same pistol that he used to shoot his ex-wife. His attempted suicide was unsuccessful.

A Claiborne Parish grand jury subsequently returned an indictment against Shemarcus Lewis, charging him with Second Degree Murder under La. R.S. 14:30.1. After lengthy pre-trial discovery and sanity commission proceedings, Lewis was set for trial by jury to commence on September 21, 2026. Just days before trial, Lewis chose to exercise his right to plead guilty as charged to one count of Second Degree Murder; and he did so before Judge Walter May and numerous members of the victim’s family on September 17, 2026.

The only sentence for Second Degree Murder under the statute is life imprisonment without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. Therefore, sentencing delays were waived, and Judge May sentenced Lewis to life in prison without parole.

Claiborne Parish felony prosecutor Jim Colvin handled the prosecution for the State. He said, “The victim’s family and law enforcement are very pleased with the result of this prosecution, and although children lost a mother and siblings lost a sister, we hope and pray that this conviction will bring the family closure and allow them to move forward. This was a terrible tragedy that can never be explained, and the defendant obviously did not want to face a Claiborne Parish jury.”

The District Attorney’s office would like to extend its gratitude to the investigating officers of the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Haynesville Police Department, EMS first responders, the Minden Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and thoroughness during their investigations gave the district attorney’s office all the information and evidence it needed to successfully bring Lewis to justice.

The Honorable Walter E. May, Jr., sentenced Alvin C. Buggage to a term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years on Sept. 8 following his conviction for the crime of Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The sentence will be served without the benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence in accordance with law. The Honorable Walter E, May, Jr., also found the defendant, Alvin C. Buggage, to be a four-time felony habitual offender and set Buggage’s habitual felony offender enhancement sentencing date for November 10, 2026.

This conviction stemmed from a two-day jury trial prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney, James H. Colvin, Jr. The jury consisted of twelve (12) Claiborne Parish citizens who unanimously found Alvin Buggage guilty as charged to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon pursuant to La. R.S. 14:95.1. Buggage had previously been convicted of Manslaughter in Orleans Parish docket number 502,364 on January 30, 2012. Following his release from prison in early 2024, his parole was transferred to Lincoln Parish, where he had moved.

Trial testimony revealed that on the night of September 20, 2024, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Smith initiated a traffic stop of Buggage’s vehicle as he was leaving the Homer/Haynesville football game in Haynesville. During the encounter, Deputy Smith smelled marijuana from within the car; and upon searching the vehicle, Deputy Smith seized a fully loaded Sig Sauer, P365 .380 handgun. Louisiana law prohibits felons convicted of certain violent crimes from possessing a firearm for a period of ten years after being released from jail or completing their parole.

Possession of a firearm by a convicted, violent felony offender is a very serious offense under Louisiana law punishable by at least five years in jail, but not more than twenty years. Further, because Judge May determined that Buggage was a four-time felony offender, Buggage’s sentence is subject to enhancement at the sentencing hearing set for November 10, 2026.

“Constructive possession cases like this one are particularly challenging to prove,” said Jim Colvin, “but the outstanding work done by the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office during the stop itself and the ensuing investigation allowed the prosecution to take a dangerous felon off the streets of Claiborne Parish. Gun crimes such as this will not be tolerated in our community, and they will be prosecuted to fullest extent of the law.”

On September 8, 2026, Jesse Thomas of Haynesville, Louisiana, became the last of 23 RICO defendants to plead guilty as charged to the crime of racketeering for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization that had operated in Claiborne Parish since 2018.

Thomas’s guilty plea followed pleas from 22 other co-conspirators, including Demontre Robinson, Dedarian Robinson, Ashley Morgan, Cheryl Bragg, John Michael Jackson, Corey Scott, Jelisha Warren, Demond Maddox, Nicholas Willis, Falante Hill, O’rillian Guidry (of Los Angeles, California), Deonte Frazier, Derrick Bradford, Rontrell Sturdivant, Dexter Washington, Georgerick Coleman, Fernando Grider, Rick Jones, Jr., Yul McGee, Alonzo Jackson, Jamie Rockett, and Donnell Mitchell. The 23 RICO defendants received an aggregate total of 293 years of jail time for their crimes, and a major drug ring has been taken off the streets ...

In late 2024, the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, along with the Louisiana State Police’s Drug Enforcement Task Force, became aware of large quantities of methamphetamines, marijuana, and cocaine being shipped from California and Texas to Claiborne Parish for local distribution. The State Police Task Force joined with CPSO in executing warrants for real-time wiretaps of Robinson’s two cell phone numbers. Law enforcement officers worked tirelessly to intercept and catalog more than 15,000 cell phone calls during the 60 days the wiretap warrant remained in effect. Through these calls, as well as many controlled buys of narcotics, law enforcement was able to identify exactly how the drug trafficking organization conducted its operations, who ran the organization, where it received its drugs from, and how it distributed the narcotics it sold locally.

On January 31, 2025, after months of intensive investigation, over 350 officers from all over the state of Louisiana descended upon Claiborne Parish to aid the Louisiana State Police and the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office in simultaneously striking multiple homes where the drug trafficking organization operated. On that day, the members of the Robinson criminal organization were arrested and charged with crimes ranging from racketeering to possession with intent to distribute narcotics and attempted murder. District Attorney Danny Newell tasked felony prosecutor, Jim Colvin, to lead the prosecution team, with assistance from fellow prosecutors Cliff Stryder and Cary Brown.

Pounds of methamphetamines, marijuana, cocaine, and promethazine were seized during the investigation. Additionally, approximately $5,000 in cash, seven guns, and twelve vehicles were seized. The Claiborne Parish District Attorney’s Office credits the tireless efforts of the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the United States Postal Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, for making this prosecution the success that it was. Finally, a special thanks on behalf of the citizens of Claiborne Parish to the over 350 law enforcement officers that successfully served and executed the arrest warrants without injury to anyone.

Following a two-day trial, a jury consisting of twelve Claiborne Parish citizens unanimously found Alvin Buggage guilty of Possession of a Firearm by a convicted felon pursuant to La. R.S. 14:95.1. Buggage had previously been convicted of Manslaughter in Orleans Parish docket number 502,364 on January 30, 2012. Following his release from prison in early 2024, his parole was transferred to Lincoln Parish, where he had moved.

Trial testimony revealed that on the night of September 20, 2024, Buggage was pulled over by Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Smith for a traffic violation as he was leaving the Homer/Haynesville football game. Upon encountering Buggage, Deputy Smith smelled marijuana from within the car, and upon searching the vehicle, Deputy Smith seized a fully loaded Sig Sauer, P365 .380 handgun. Louisiana law prohibits felons convicted of certain violent crimes from possessing a firearm for a periodof ten years after being released from jail or completing their parole.

The jury deliberated for less than one hour before returning its unanimous verdict of “guilty as charged.” Judge Walter May presided over the trial, and Assistant District Attorney, James H. Colvin, Jr., prosecuted the case for the State of Louisiana. Possession of a firearm by a convicted, violent felony offender is a very serious offense under Louisiana law punishable by at least five years in jail, but not more than twenty years. The State will investigate whether it can seek additional jail time, as Buggage is a habitual, criminal offender, having also been previously convicted of possession with the intent to distribute narcotics, possession of narcotics, manslaughter, and a previous firearm possession conviction, all from Orleans Parish.

Judge Walter E. May, Jr., ordered Buggage held without bond pending his sentence on April 7, 2026. Buggage faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years at hard labor.

Reprinted in part from media articles

After an intensive investigation, DeMontre Robinson of Haynesville—the head of a large drug trafficking organization—has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 23 years of hard labor.

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Cary Brown and Jim Colvin, who have worked with local, state, and federal agencies to bring the entire organization to justice.

Authorities uncovered a seven-year operation that brought meth, marijuana, and cocaine from out of state. Through wiretaps, controlled buys, and a massive, coordinated effort involving over 350 law enforcement officers, the entire organization was taken down.

So far, 15 members have pleaded guilty, receiving a combined 165 years in prison. Drugs, cash, guns, and vehicles were all seized during the investigation.

Officials say this was the largest drug operation in the area, and its shutdown marks a major step toward safer North Louisiana communities.

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