Investigators Bust Auto Theft Ring in Lafourche and Terrebonne

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced investigators from multiple agencies worked together to take down an auto theft ring in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes. Allen Punch, 48, of Bayou Blue, Bobby Foreman Jr., 53, of Thibodaux, Sarah Holliday, 41, of Bayou Blue, and a juvenile were all charged during the investigation. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office worked with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Houma Police Department, and Louisiana State Police to solve the case.

Three vehicles were reported stolen from August 19 through August 22, 2023. In each case, these vehicles had been disabled and left abandoned at along a road or highway. Through investigation, two of those vehicles were located at a recycling business in Houma, and Allen Punch was developed as a suspect in the auto thefts. While detectives were at the recycling business, Punch drove up to the business with the third stolen vehicle. He was detained and eventually arrested after questioning. He was also found to have methamphetamine in his possession.

Further investigation revealed Sarah Holliday had allegedly stolen a fourth vehicle which had been left abandoned on the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge in St. Charles Parish. They also learned that the vehicle was possibly being kept at Sarah Holliday’s residence in Bayou Blue. Investigators located the stolen vehicle at Holliday’s residence. They also learned a teenage boy was involved in stealing two of the vehicles.

Investigators learned Punch had been using a truck and trailer registered to Bobby Foreman Jr. to transport the stolen vehicles for scrapping. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Foreman’s shop. When investigators reviewed surveillance, they found evidence of a fifth stolen vehicle that had not yet been reported stolen out of Houma. The owner was identified and informed that the vehicle had been scrapped. Foreman, meanwhile, was charged by Houma Police on an outstanding warrant in an unrelated investigation. He was charged with illegal possession of stolen things and forgery as part of this investigation.

In all, investigators recovered four stolen vehicles, with the fifth one having been scrapped before the beginning of the investigation. Punch and Holliday were arrested and booked into the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex.

Punch was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of illegal possession of stolen things, two counts of forgery, and possession of methamphetamine in Terrebonne Parish. He also faces charges of three counts of theft of a motor vehicle and one count of forgery in Lafourche Parish.

Holliday was charged with illegal possession of stolen things and theft of a motor vehicle in Terrebonne Parish, and she was found to have five active contempt of court warrants. She was also charged with three counts of theft of a motor vehicle and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of juveniles in Lafourche Parish, in addition to two warrants for contempt of court.

The juvenile involved also faces two counts of motor vehicle theft in Lafourche Parish.

Sheriff Craig Webre encourages motorists to have a disabled vehicle towed to avoid leaving it along a highway whenever possible. If the owner cannot have the vehicle towed at that time, those traveling in the vehicle should remove all valuables and fully secure the vehicle. The owner should then contact the Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police to inform them about the vehicle so that deputies and troopers are aware of its location and so they can possibly offer additional assistance.