UPDATED: Councilman Bennett faces drug, gun, stalking charges

St. Mary Parish Councilman James Bennett was booked into the parish jail Monday on drug and stalking charges after state police searched his Sixth Street home, according to jail records.
It was the third arrest for Bennett, who represents Parish Council District 7, in less than a year.
Bennett was booked Monday afternoon on charges of possession of a Schedule III controlled dangerous substance, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance and stalking. One of the earlier arrests involved allegations of stalking in Berwick.
A state police press release identified the controlled dangerous substance as steroids.
Bond was set at $3,500.
Plainclothes Louisiana State Police authorities searched the Sixth Street home of Bennett on Monday morning and took him away about noon.
Neighbors said they saw officers arrive at the Morgan City home of Bennett by 7:30 a.m. Monday.
Berwick Police Department Assistant Chief J.P. Henry was seen among the officers conducting the search, which also targeted a white Mercedes sedan parked in the home’s driveway. At one point, an officer emerged from the home with what appeared to be a rifle.
“It’s related to a stalking allegation,” said Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr., who referred other questions to the state police.
A press release from Louisiana State Police Troop C said Berwick police asked for assistance last month with an investigation into Bennett, who had been arrested on a stalking charge and was believed to be stalking the victim, who wasn’t identified, outside Berwick’s jurisdiction.
“Troopers observed that he continued his pattern of stalking in St. Mary Parish,” the press release said
The state police Criminal Investigation obtained arrest and search warrants and executed the warrants Monday.
The press release said troopers seized electronic devices and several firearms.
Bennett, 50, has been arrested twice recently.
Berwick police arrested Bennett on Feb. 6 on a warrant resulting from a complaint that Bennett had stalked a Berwick woman.
Police said Bennett “used resources to gain knowledge of who was visiting with the victim and later confront the victim.”
The warrant stems from an investigation that began Feb. 1 in which a complaint was received concerning him stalking a woman who lives in the Berwick area. Police learned that Bennett was in fact responsible for the behavior associated with stalking, Leonard said.
Bennett was booked into the Berwick jail and later released on $20,000 bail. He was later transported to the Morgan City jail due to active warrants that Morgan City Police Department held for his arrest associated with this investigation.
Berwick police confirmed that Bennett’s February arrest was related to another arrest July 31. Bennett was arrested on a charge of remaining after being forbidden. Police said Bennett had returned to a Berwick home after being told not to go there.
After that arrest, Bennett characterized the incident as “a big misunderstanding.”