A former state representative who was once a key political power broker in the 9th Ward was arrested Wednesday on theft charges in Jefferson Parish, according to JP arrest records. Sherman Copelin, who helped found the SOUL political organization in the 1970s, was booked in to Jefferson Parish Prison on charges of theft more than $1500, and misapplication of payment. The charges appear to stem from a 2011 audit that found potential fraud in a job performed by Copelin's contracting company on a West Bank school.

Former President of Jefferson Parish Aaron Broussard and his ex-wife Karen Parker were sentenced to prison and probation terms in federal court Monday for their involvement in a wire-fraud, bribery and theft scandal that cheated taxpayers out of $328,308. The conspiracy went undetected for over a six-year period, from 2003-2010.

by William Dilella

A month after voters weighed in on the fate of bridge tolls to cross the Mississippn River, the final bell on the fight has yet to toll. A citizens' opposition group "StopTheTolls.Org" announced today that they have filed a lawsuit in the 19th District Court (East Baton Rouge Parish) challenging the results of November's Crescent City Connection Bridge (CCCB) toll vote. 

Three people were killed Sunday night, and two men were stabbed in the French Quarter and CBD over the weekend in New Orleans, according to New Orleans police. A cab driver was among the people killed in an apparent robbery on Sunday night, according to police.

by Shay Sokol

Updated at 6:18pm. 

St. Tammany Parish has been the center of the statewide crackdown on mojos, but they're not the only place in the metro area where the substances are being used. Jefferson Parish had its turn to threaten the rogue chemists and retailers of mojos, bath salts and other synthetic drugs Thursday afternoon. Sheriff Newell Normand summoned the press out to his Department's LASER lair to put the illegal substances they've confiscated on display, and send a message to all who distribute the substances: "We will come after you and shut you down."

As the evening brought a brief break from the heat and heavier winds, the haze and smell of smoke drifted in. Once again, New Orleans was in a haze. About 7 p.m., the burning smell of smoke and haze around the Lakeview area near I-10 increased to proportions that reminded us of last year's New Orleans East Marsh Fire, though not nearly as consistent. Turns out it wasn't oil, or that marsh fire flaring up again. The Jefferson Parish Fire Department told Fox 8 news that the smoke was from a marsh fire on the West Bank near Waggaman. The station reported that the fire is out.

by Shay Sokol

There was former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sal Perricone. Then there was former NOPD officer Jason Giroir. The trend of losing one’s job for posting contentious online comments continues: Mark Traina, a Slidell school psychologist employed by the Jefferson Parish School Board, is behind an online crusade of comments against “young black thugs.” In one tweet in January, Traina said, “Young Black Thugs who won’t follow the law need to be put down not incarcerated. Put down like the Dogs they are!” Gawker’s got it in full.

On this week's docket of dereliction, a group of strip club workers decided they needed more money from another employee's purse, a rental car was used to make a getaway and Ms. Jackson showed she was for real in an argument over laundry. Each week, Crescent City Crime Bits provides a rundown of the lowdown:

On Monday night, many Defenders saw the Consortium of Genius emerge from their evil lair at the Night Out for NoDef. Despite their intricate arsenal of robots, video presentations, musicians and sleuthing, that was only part of the group. This weekend, the entire group of mad scientists will descend on a brand new club in Jefferson, La. As final preparations are being made for the performance at Triage (1201 Jefferson Highway), speculation already abounds that this group of scientists might have finally met their match.

Around here, we're used to seeing Slabbed crashing parties given by St. Charles power players, and putting a thorn in Fred Heebe's rosy outlook. But up in Canada, the man behind the Gulf Coast-focused muckraking blog finds himself in the legal and moral crosshairs. Last week, Slabbed author sop was ordered by Canada to pony up for the largest defamation damage payout in Nova Scotia history. sop, whose real name is Doug Handshoe, vowed to fight the decision in U.S. Court.