DOCUMENT: Crime

Jail For Man In Ass-ault Weapon Case

Strip search turned up loaded pistol in perp's butt

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Concealed Weapon

SEPTEMBER 18--A Louisiana man who was found to have a loaded pistol in his buttocks during a jail strip search pleaded guilty today to weapons and contraband charges, court records show.

In a plea deal, Justin Savoie, 24, copped to a pair of felony counts and a misdemeanor charge in connection with his arrest late last year at a residence in Golden Meadow, a Bayou town 40 miles south of New Orleans.

Savoie received a five-year suspended prison sentence on the felony convictions during a District Court sentencing. He was also placed on three years probation and ordered to serve 90 days in the Lafourche Parish jail.

Seen at right, Lavoie was taken into custody following his sentencing. If he violates terms of his probation, he risks having to serve all or part of five years in state prison.

Police confronted Savoie and a female acquaintance after spotting suspicious activity at the woman’s residence. During a pat down of Savoie, cops recovered a concealed handgun, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. They also subsequently seized several other guns from Savoie’s truck, as well as homemade silencers.

Savoie was arrested and brought to a Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office sub-station to be processed on a variety of criminal counts. It was during the intake process that Savoie was subjected to a strip search that revealed he was in possession of another firearm.

According to a Golden Meadow Police Department report, a corrections deputy “recovered” a .25 caliber Titan pistol “from Mr. Savoie which he had it hidden in his rectum and was refusing to unclench his buttocks and spread his legs.” Aided by a second law enforcement officer, the jailer succeeded in securing “the introduced weapon which was loaded.”

The seized handgun has a 2.5-inch barrel and measures 4.375 inches long. After Savoie’s collar, the Golden Meadow police chief told TSG, “Whoever thought a .25 caliber pistol could be an ass-ault weapon?”

As part of his probation, Savoie, who was free on $10,600 bond in advance of today's sentencing, is barred from owning or possessing firearms and has been ordered to refrain from “frequenting bars and lounges” and “the excessive use of alcohol and the illegal use of drugs.” (3 pages)