Audrealla Thomas, 27, of Algiers
ST. BERNARD PARISH -
A woman wanted in an $8,000 cigarette heist in St. Bernard Parish who had been known only by the street name of "Sizzling,'' has now been identified as Audrealla Thomas, 27, of Algiers, who has previously served prison time for theft in Texas, St. Bernard Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said.
Thomas is now wanted for felony theft, along with John Glenn Tillman, 56, also of Algiers, whose name was learned a week ago. Both are at-large, Pohlmann said. One person arrested in connection with the Dec. 5 cigarette theft was Kevin Ventry, 41, of Algiers, known by his stage name of T.T. Tucker, a figure in the early rap music scene in New Orleans who appeared on CDs and videos in the early 1990s.
Ventry is being held in jail in New Orleans, where he was also wanted on a $10,000 burglary of cigarettes and a cigarette theft involving 30 cartons. He is also a suspect in similar crimes in St. Tammany Parish and other areas.
Ventry was arrested Monday, Dec. 14, in a coordinated effort by St. Bernard sheriff's detectives and New Orleans police. He will be booked in St. Bernard with felony theft of the cigarettes from a storage room at Meraux Pit Lane store on East Judge Perez Drive in Meraux.
Tillman is also a suspect in a robbery in Baton Rouge and other crimes in the Hammond area, according to St. Bernard Chief of Detectives Col. John Doran.
Ventry, Thomas and Tillman are all seen on a store surveillance tape from Meraux Pit Lane.
A tip through Crimestoppers led authorities to the identity of Thomas, who may have taken part in a number oif similar cigarette thefts in the New Orleans area, Pohlmann said. Anyone with information on her whereabouts or Tillman's are asked toi call the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at 822-1111 and they could be eligible for a reward.
Nearly 200 cartons of premium cigarettes, worth about $8,000, and a case of premium whisky were stolen from the Meraux store's storage area at night while the business was open.
Ventry, who appeared on CDs and videos in the early 1990s as T.T. Tucker.
Pohlmann said at the time of Ventry's arrest that both men are "career criminals and are part of a ring that travels around the New Orleans area and steals cartons of cigarettes and sells them to small grocery stores for resale to the public.''
Tillman has 41 felony arrests while Ventry has 16, he said.
After the surveillance video was shown on local television, a tip was received through Crimestoppers that T.T. Tucker was involved in the theft and the investigation went from there, Pohlmann said.
Authorities believe both Ventry and Tillman are drug abusers who have committed numerous thefts and other crimes to feed addictions, Pohlmann said.
Pohlmann complimented sheriff's detectives for taking the initiative and working with New Orleans police to solve the case. "Maybe someone else would take theft of cigarettes as minor but we believe any felony is serious and our guys take it further until it's solved,'' Pohlmann said. "And in this case it led to people involved in numerous crimes.''
Thomas is now wanted for felony theft, along with John Glenn Tillman, 56, also of Algiers, whose name was learned a week ago. Both are at-large, Pohlmann said. One person arrested in connection with the Dec. 5 cigarette theft was Kevin Ventry, 41, of Algiers, known by his stage name of T.T. Tucker, a figure in the early rap music scene in New Orleans who appeared on CDs and videos in the early 1990s.
Ventry is being held in jail in New Orleans, where he was also wanted on a $10,000 burglary of cigarettes and a cigarette theft involving 30 cartons. He is also a suspect in similar crimes in St. Tammany Parish and other areas.
Ventry was arrested Monday, Dec. 14, in a coordinated effort by St. Bernard sheriff's detectives and New Orleans police. He will be booked in St. Bernard with felony theft of the cigarettes from a storage room at Meraux Pit Lane store on East Judge Perez Drive in Meraux.
Tillman is also a suspect in a robbery in Baton Rouge and other crimes in the Hammond area, according to St. Bernard Chief of Detectives Col. John Doran.
Ventry, Thomas and Tillman are all seen on a store surveillance tape from Meraux Pit Lane.
A tip through Crimestoppers led authorities to the identity of Thomas, who may have taken part in a number oif similar cigarette thefts in the New Orleans area, Pohlmann said. Anyone with information on her whereabouts or Tillman's are asked toi call the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office at (504) 271-2501 or Crimestoppers at 822-1111 and they could be eligible for a reward.
Nearly 200 cartons of premium cigarettes, worth about $8,000, and a case of premium whisky were stolen from the Meraux store's storage area at night while the business was open.
Ventry, who appeared on CDs and videos in the early 1990s as T.T. Tucker.
Pohlmann said at the time of Ventry's arrest that both men are "career criminals and are part of a ring that travels around the New Orleans area and steals cartons of cigarettes and sells them to small grocery stores for resale to the public.''
Tillman has 41 felony arrests while Ventry has 16, he said.
After the surveillance video was shown on local television, a tip was received through Crimestoppers that T.T. Tucker was involved in the theft and the investigation went from there, Pohlmann said.
Authorities believe both Ventry and Tillman are drug abusers who have committed numerous thefts and other crimes to feed addictions, Pohlmann said.
Pohlmann complimented sheriff's detectives for taking the initiative and working with New Orleans police to solve the case. "Maybe someone else would take theft of cigarettes as minor but we believe any felony is serious and our guys take it further until it's solved,'' Pohlmann said. "And in this case it led to people involved in numerous crimes.''
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