Junior A. Fabiano
April 7, 2009
Willard John Kraemer Jr.
April 9, 2009
The man charged with inciting last month’s hate crimes against white inmates at the Lafourche Parish Detention Center is headed to state prison.
Terry Wheaton, 44, pleaded guilty to drug charges in District Judge Bruce Simpson’s Court Thursday before ad hoc Judge Robert Klees of St. Bernard Parish, authorities reported.
Wheaton was sentenced to 20 years on charges of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. He also pleaded guilty to two other counts of possession of cocaine and was sentenced to 5 years on each count, to serve concurrently with the 20-year sentence.
The drug charges were the result of a 2008 undercover operation conducted by Lafourche Parish Drug Task Force agents, authorities said.
“Terry Wheaton has been a disturbing force at the detention center, instigating more than one action against inmates and our officers” Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said. “We’ve already made arrangements to transfer him to the care and control of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, where Mr. Wheaton will find it much more difficult to cause problems.”
Wheaton still faces charges in connection with the March 10 and March 13 attacks. He was charged with being a principal to second-degree battery and hate crimes for his role in provoking several inmates in the attack of three other inmates.
On Friday, the sheriff’s office reported that the last suspect in the attacks, Sherrick Every, 21, remains at large. Every was released from jail days before the sheriff’s office concluded its investigation into the incidents. He is wanted for second-degree battery and hate crimes in connection with the attacks, the sheriff’s office reported.
