LSP’s Troop NOLA cracks down on street riders planning ATV and dirt bike takeovers

BATON ROUGE, La. (WVUE) - Troop NOLA, the Louisiana State Police’s new New Orleans-based unit, announced three arrests Tuesday (May 21) as part of an investigation into the illegal takeover of city streets by riders of unlicensed all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirt bikes.

The agency announced the arrests of 27-year-old Ken J. Tureaud Jr. of Convent, 21-year-old Marjoe S. Holmes Jr. of Zachary, and 22-year-old Luke J. Campo of St. Bernard. Each was booked with multiple counts of aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce and reckless operation of an off-road vehicle, and at least one count each of criminal conspiracy.

“The most common, often-heard complaint is these street takeovers,” LSP Maj. Donovan Archote of Troop NOLA said. “These ATVs, these off-the-road vehicles, sport bikes, just blatantly disobeying traffic laws, blocking intersections. And it seems to be a pervasive problem all throughout New Orleans.”

In response to those complaints, Troop NOLA opened an investigation, using some of the riders’ own videos posted to social media platforms.

“Our troopers conducted a thorough investigation, uncovered videos on the social media platform YouTube,” Archote said. “It was titled ‘Sunday Funday in New Orleans’ and ‘#BikeLife.’

“The videos also display and reveal the subjects’ intent of coming to New Orleans and committing these crimes, So, through our investigative efforts, it was determined that crimes were committed in May of 2023 in the city of New Orleans. They didn’t discriminate where they were committing these crimes. They were Uptown, Downtown, throughout New Orleans East, Lakeview, Mid-City, the Ninth Ward -- all throughout New Orleans. They rode all over committing these crimes. So, identification was made on three primary suspects.”

The three arrestees were booked into the St. James Parish jail on the following counts:

Tureaud Jr.:

• Aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce (12 felony counts)
• Criminal conspiracy (12 felony counts)
• Reckless operation of an off-road vehicle (12 counts)
• Unlawful posting of criminal activity for notoriety and publicity (two counts)

Holmes Jr.:

• Aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce (four felony counts)
• Criminal conspiracy (one felony count)
• Reckless operation of an off-road vehicle (four counts)
• Possession of stolen property worth over $1,000 (one felony count)

Campo:

• Aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce (seven felony counts)
• Criminal conspiracy (one felony count)
• Reckless operation of an off-road vehicle (seven counts)

“We secured arrest warrants for the subjects and search warrants for residences in St. Bernard Parish, St. James Parish and East Baton Rouge Parish,” Archote said. “Troopers recovered four stolen dirt bikes, one stolen ATV. We also seized a Dodge pickup truck, a Glock pistol and 125 grams of marijuana.”

The arrests were announced at Louisiana State Police headquarters in Baton Rouge, with Gov. Jeff Landry present.

“We have met with the U.S. Department of Justice, with the FBI, to make sure that when we go in, we’re doing it in a manner that’s professional and courteous,” Landry said. “But we are going to take criminals off the street.”

Archote said of the suspects, “They all know each other. They all have these events, if you will. I wouldn’t say it was like a gang-type situation. It’s more of a bike culture and they come down to New Orleans and they create this havoc and this ruckus, if you will, to cause trouble. And they go back to their homes in other parishes.”

Archote said that as the investigation proceeds, more arrests are possible.

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