As Rapides School Board debates vaping, 2 arrested for allegedly selling to high schoolers

Yahoo

03-03-2025

Two Alexandria residents remain in jail on Friday afternoon after an investigation into a complaint about vape pens containing THC being sold to students, according to the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office.
The arrests come as the Rapides Parish School Board considers changing how it deals with students caught vaping or with vaping devices at school.
The Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit received information earlier in February that one of the men, Dion Derek Duran Jr., was selling the pens with the illegal substance to high school students from his Warshauer Street home, which is in the vicinity of two schools — Bolton Academy and Alma Redwine Elementary School.
An investigation started, and agents "began to confirm these complaints through a variety of surveillance and investigative techniques," reads a news release.
The pens allegedly contained tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC.
A search warrant for the home was secured, and it was served on Feb. 25. Another man, 27-year-old Antonio Malik Daniels, was at the house, and Duran arrived soon after. Both men were taken into custody during the search.
Found at the house were 252 THC vape pens, THC edibles, marijuana, seven firearms, 1.5 ounces of powdered cocaine, about $30,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia, approximately 200 Xanax pills, 500 pressed pills with fentanyl and five ecstasy pills.
The men were arrested and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center #1.
Both men were booked on charges of possession of marijuana derivatives with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana, illegal carrying of a firearm with drugs and transactions involved proceeds from drug offenses.
Daniels also was booked on a charge of possession of powder cocaine with intent to distribute. He remains in jail with bail set at $24,000.
Duran also was booked on charges of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of Xanax with intent to distribute. His bail was set at $75,000.
Sheriff Mark Wood said parents should talk to their children about the dangers of THC vapes.
"The concentration strength of these THC vape pens is a lot stronger and can cause THC poisoning, not to mention other ingredients that could damage their lungs or brain cells," he said in the release.
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'I want something done': Rapides School Board goes back to harsher student vaping policy, but discussion isn't over
A 2024 report found that, while vaping among youth in the United States has dropped since 2019, about 2.13 million youth still used e-cigarettes in 2023.
But one middle school administrator called vaping in Rapides Parish schools a "pandemic" back in September 2022, when a group of principals approached the board because they felt the punishment wasn't severe enough.
"The last five years, we've seen this vaping just become a pandemic with our students, even in middle schools," said Sons Pathoumthong, who was assistant principal of discipline at Alexandria Senior High School at the time. "What we are dealing with are … these kids today are just completely bold with the vaping."
The issue was discussed during the Feb. 18 education committee. Chair Linda Burgess said she was concerned that the punishment was too severe for some students and that administrators should be allowed to modify it based on a student's history.
Superintendent Jeff Powell said, as of early February, 93 students between sixth and 12th grades had been expelled for vaping, less than 1% of the students enrolled in those grades. He also said students who are being expelled don't just have vapes with nicotine or CBD in them.
"This is happening with students who have THC in it, which is identified as a controlled and dangerous substance," he said. "If they had a pocket full of pills, would we be having this same conversation? If they had a bag full of weed, would we be having this same conversation?"
Powell said students who are being expelled for four semesters are being punished for having vapes, which is illegal for those younger than 21 to possess, and THC. He said, if the board wants to change its policy to something different than state law, it should be reviewed by legal counsel.
Powell said the administration would abide by policy set by the board members.
A motion to revise the student handbook to let students and parents enter into probationary contracts that would allow students to return to their home schools after 30 days at RAPPS was tabled when member Wally Fall offered a substitute motion to wait for a report brought by to a March 18 committee meeting.
This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Vaping sales to students complaint leads to arrest of 2 Alexandria men