"Troop NOLA" Cracks Down on ATV Riders

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Troop Nola, an upstart Louisiana State Police unit dedicated to New Orleans, has hit its first investigative pay dirt, even as the troop itself has been slow to develop, Gov. Jeff Landry and State Police brass said Tuesday.

An investigation by the troop led to the arrests of three young men in St. James Parish on Monday on suspicion of organizing "street takeovers" in which drivers of dirt bikes and ATVs perform dangerous car stunts and occupy intersections in New Orleans and elsewhere, they said.

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The investigation, largely conducted through social media, focused on incidents from May 2023, LSP officials said. Following the arrests in Convent, authorities recovered four stolen dirt bikes, a stolen ATV, a Dodge pickup, a pistol and a stash of marijuana in related searches of residences in East Baton Rouge, St. Bernard and St. James parishes, officials said.

State officials did not release the identities of the three suspects nor specify the crimes they're accused of committing. According to St. James Parish jail records, however, the arrested men are Luke John Campo, 22, Marjoe Holmes Jr., 21, and Ken Joseph Jr. 27.

Each of them was booked on felony counts of conspiracy to commit aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce. Tureau also faces a count of unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity, a misdemeanor. District Judge Steven Tureau set bond for each of them at $50,000. The obstruction charge carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence upon a conviction.

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Troop NOLA said they used videos on social media that were labeled "Sunday Funday in New Orleans" and the hashtag #Bikelife to track down the suspects involved in the events.

According to Troop NOLA, people would travel from all over the state to Baton Rouge and New Orleans to attend the ATV events.

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